The story starts with grannie saying she is leaving for a funeral and she'll be back in a week. She leaves an 11 year old in charge of half a dozen younger children (a brother and cousins?). Auntie is the store owner, bus, driver, mail carrier and doesn't do anything expect hold up a "no" sign when "Boy" asks for a Popsicle.
The characters of Boy and his little brother, age 6, Rocky finally meet their dad. Mom died giving birth to younger brother and apparently, "dad" robbed a bank and was in jail. This was never explained thoroughly, but it's besides the point. Dad and his pathetic "gang" of 2 other adult men come to the house and proceed to act much like a boy himself. He is a grown man, but throws temper tantrums, steals weed, digs up a field looking for his stash of stolen money, etc. He's gotten a rockin' afro, bushy porn mustache and coveted logo jacket for his gang. He literally sets up a throne of pallets in the garage for locals boys to worship him. Although he promises his mother over the phone he will spend quality time with the boys, it just doesn't happen. In Maori culture, or any culture, you've got dead beat parents. In the end, it is really the father who is the Boy and the Boy who is the father.
My favorite part of this movie was during the end credits when the cast, adults and kids did an extremely bad performance of an American-Maori Dance/Story-Telling Mash-Up of Michael Jackson's Thriller choreography. Very original and funny.
The characters of Boy and his little brother, age 6, Rocky finally meet their dad. Mom died giving birth to younger brother and apparently, "dad" robbed a bank and was in jail. This was never explained thoroughly, but it's besides the point. Dad and his pathetic "gang" of 2 other adult men come to the house and proceed to act much like a boy himself. He is a grown man, but throws temper tantrums, steals weed, digs up a field looking for his stash of stolen money, etc. He's gotten a rockin' afro, bushy porn mustache and coveted logo jacket for his gang. He literally sets up a throne of pallets in the garage for locals boys to worship him. Although he promises his mother over the phone he will spend quality time with the boys, it just doesn't happen. In Maori culture, or any culture, you've got dead beat parents. In the end, it is really the father who is the Boy and the Boy who is the father.
My favorite part of this movie was during the end credits when the cast, adults and kids did an extremely bad performance of an American-Maori Dance/Story-Telling Mash-Up of Michael Jackson's Thriller choreography. Very original and funny.