Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

Introduced as a “real bad egg”, thirteen year old foster child Ricky Baker was sent from one foster home to another until he finally came to a place that he truly called home. In an attempt to escape foster care services following the death of his foster mum, Aunt Bella, Ricky runs off to ‘The Bush’ and Uncle Hector follows to save him, triggering a national manhunt and an unlikely adventure and story of kinship that warms the heart.

Following Erikson’s Stages of Development, Ricky seems to display the Identity vs Role Confusion, which is the stage in which adolescents attempt to explore who they really are and what identity they want to have as adults. 

There are times when Ricky just wants to become a bushman and run away from real life forever and there are times when he contemplated living the life (and death) of gangsters and drug addicts.  The latter is most likely due to the influence of other people, including child welfare worker Paula, who continuously label Ricky as a “bad egg” or as “a real piece of work”, continuously highlighting his petty crimes such as kicking, spitting, vandalizing, etc; however, early on in the movie itself, we can tell that Ricky is a good kid who is merely misunderstood and mislabeled. Illustrating Erikson’s theory, Ricky is torn between becoming a gangster or drug dealer as is anticipated of foster children like him, or becoming something more than that.

Soon after the scene where Ricky proclaims himself to be a Wilderboy (though not much of a step up from being a gangster, but still better), he still insists on himself becoming a gangster if he returns to society. Despite Uncle Hec’s protests and denial that Ricky is a gangster, Ricky refuses to believe it because of his known status of being a “menace to society”, someone who will never be accepted.

Perhaps the influence of being labelled?

The movie ends with Ricky not as a gangster and not rejected as he finds a new and caring home. Walking back into the Bush with Uncle Hec to find an extinct species of birds, we can only hope that with his new family and the guidance of Uncle Hec, Ricky will find his place in this world. (Although I personally believe that he could become a great entertainer in the future)

Uncle Hec on the other hand seems to display behaviours akin to the Generativity vs Stagnation stage of development. Generativity is the stage in which older adults attempt to impart their wisdom and knowledge onto the younger generation, typically those of their own blood relation. However, as Uncle Hec did not have any biological children of his own and was forced to take care of Ricky in the Bush, Uncle Hec imparts his knowledge, wisdom and advice onto Ricky. While Uncle Hec may not be able to read, or write for that matter, he was taught Ricky things that he needed to know the most, which was on survival in the Bush and his attempt to guide Ricky out of making bad life decisions for his future, especially that of becoming a gangster.

Personal Take

While entertaining and humorous, this movie was able to cleverly portray and highlight the struggles of being a child in foster care, the negative influence of rejection from society and the power of acceptance and warmth from loved ones. Though not initially obvious from the beginning of the movie, we soon realize that Uncle Hec and Ricky had a lot in common. Referring to both he and Ricky as “stray dogs” who were taken in by Bella, we can observe how Ricky and he find comfort in each other in the loss of the one person who accepted them unconditionally, and consequently progress to accept each other and care for each other.

Grace is Gone (2007)

A tear jerking story of dealing with the death and loss of a loved one, Grace is Gone is all the more impactful for its realistic simplicity and raw authenticity of emotions. Stanley Phillips, the military husband of Sergeant Grace Phillips, is faced with the sudden news of his wife's death during combat. Unable to break the news to his two daughters, Heidi and Dawn, that their mother is gone and that they will never see her again, he grasps at the opportunity to delay the news by taking his daughters on a road trip to the theme park, The Enchanted Gardens. 

In this blog, I will address the five stages of grief according to the Kubler-Ross model that was displayed in this movie. It is however important to note that the five stages are not necessarily experienced by everybody in that particular order, and there are some who do not experience every stage of this model.

Denial

After receiving news of his wife's death, Stanley is seen to be nervous as his daughters return home, knowing that he would have to break the news to them. However, they brought back with them a casserole left on their doorstep, presumably from a well wisher sending their condolences and Stanley became adamant, angry even, when he insists for the girls to not eat the casserole. Probably to him, eating the casserole would signify that Grace is truly gone and that he has accepted the fact as well as accepted the sympathy of others. 

Additionally, taking his daughters away on a road trip could also be seen as an attempt to escape the truth and keep his daughters in blissful ignorance. When his brother receives a phone call and learns of Grace's death, Stanley once again tries to escape the situation by taking his daughters and leaving immediately.

Anger 

This stage of grief was mostly displayed by Stanley towards his younger brother, John during his visit to his mother's home. Although it is obvious that the two brothers have had political disagreements for a long time, Stanley finally snaps at his brother who unknowingly and unintentionally undermined the system and in result,undermine the sacrifices Grace makes to keep their country safe. Stanley probably attempts to find comfort in Grace's death by knowing that she died for a good and honourable cause, and having that idea challenged by John invokes anger in Stanley. A little while later, Stanley becomes aggressive with his brother, shoving him and pinning him to the wall, while yelling that John's opinion on Stanley's decision of keeping the news of the death of Heidi's and Dawn's mother away from them.

Bargaining

In Stanley's final phone call to "Grace", Stanley expresses his frustrations in being the one to stay at home and raise their daughters while she fights for the country. While not explicitly stated, Stanley's wish that their situations were reversed, that he was the one in battle while she stayed at home, could be seen as a way of bargaining- that if he went, he would be the one killed in combat while she remained alive and safe.

Depression 

Keeping his emotions in check throughout most of the film and even putting on a happy, cheerful facade, Stanley finally gives in to his grief when alone. Though not crippling depression, this display of mourning is comforting for the audience to see because we are aware that giving in to one's feeling of grief and sorrow is necessary before someone can accept their loss and move on.

Acceptance

With his last call to Grace, he finally addresses that he needs to tell Heidi and Dawn of their mother's death, displaying that he has accepted her death and is ready to do what is necessary as a grieving husband and father.

Throughout the majority of the film, Stanley was the only one who knew of Grace's death, and so the model of grieve could only mostly be applied to him. However, when he finally tells his daughters the truth, we immediately see Heidi is in denial by saying words like, "She is just hurt" and "It's alright. We will take care of her" and initially tries to push away her father from embracing her. I found her denial intriguing as she seemed to have been suspicious of her father's behaviour throughout the film and had even seemed to have her own period of grieving after hearing her father's voice call to her mother. It may be possible that she was aware of the possibility of her mother's death but chose to deny it for as long as possible to prevent dealing with the reality and the hurt that would follow.

Watching the ocean and the sunset, the Philips spend the time to grieve the loss of Grace, finding comfort in one another. I find it bitter sweet that with the loss of Grace, the relationship and bond between a father and his two daughters were strengthened. Stanley Philips is now a different man than who he was at the beginning of the film. Strict, stubborn and stiff, his daughters were unable to converse with him lightly, especially Heidi who was facing personal issues such as insomnia. It was comforting to see how the girls gradually became more open with him, and even being unafraid to ask to get their ears pierced despite the rule set by their father of only being allowed to get their ears pierced after the age of thirteen. We know that the Philip family will move past their grief and continue to seek comfort in each other as well as grow closer together, thus allowing us to move past Grace's death as well.

Amadeus (1984)

Amadeus (1984) is a film adaptation of Peter Shaffer's stage play of the same name depicting the fictional story of the life and death (or rather, murder) of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Narrated from the view of Antonio Salieri, another famous composer of the time, we are taken through a journey of worship of music, of growing hatred and jealousy and the growing madness.

Salieri and Mozart: The Cain and Abel of Music 

Towards the end of the film, it occurred to me that while disturbing in its notion of committing murder due to envy, was not unfamiliar. It resounded to me the biblical tale of the first murder committed- the murder of Abel by Cain, his brother.

Like Cain who served God through the offering of the fruit of his fields, Salieri wanted to serve God through his music; and in return he asked for fame, recognition and love from the world. He even went as far as offering everything he had: his industry, his chastity and his utter humility. Yet also like Cain, it seemed that his offerings were not pleasing and accepted and God instead blessed Mozart with the true talent of music, to create music to perfection in its first draft, of composing the "voice of God" through music.

Aptly baptized with the name "Amadeus" which means "Love of God",
 Mozart composes music that Salieri describes as the "voice of God"

Cain, in his envy of Abel whose offerings were accepted and whom was blessed by God in return, grew to hate him and one day, killed him out in the fields. Similarly, Salieri saw Mozart as the unrightful vessel of God and in turn  decided to scorn God and plotted to murder Mozart. While not directly killing Mozart, Salieri was responsible for taking away Mozart's chances of fame and financing his livelihood, plunging him straight to the depths of debt, alcoholism and hard labour, eventually driving Mozart to his deathbed.

Following the Frustration theory of Aggression, which states that aggressive behaviour occurs in response to the aggressor's growing frustration resulting from the hindrance or block that prevents them from achieving their goals. Applying this theory to Salieri whose goal was to become a world famous composer and have his music remembered and loved forever, he grew frustrated when Mozart came to Vienna and gained popularity quickly.
In his mind, God had blessed Mozart to be His instrument and so, in order to finally achieve his goals he would have to get rid of Mozart by killing him.

However in the end, Salieri narrated that God punished him for killing Mozart, by allowing him to live for years with guilt in his heart and with each passing year, Salieri watched as his music faded into the background while Mozart's music gained popularity, revealing itself to become the timeless masterpieces that they still are even now. Similarly to Cain, who was given the 'mark of Cain', he had to live the rest of his life in shame and guilt of what he had done to his brother. Unlike Cain however, who sought after God's forgiveness, Salieri chose to make God responsible for the murder of Mozart and even proclaim himself to be the "saint patron of mediocrity", taking religion into his own hands to absolve mediocrities everywhere.