Nim's Island

Title: Nim’s Island

Running Time: 95 min.

Cast: Abigail Breslin, Jodie Forster, Gerard Butler, Maddison Joyce, Alphonso McAuley

Directors: Jennifer Falckett, Mark Levin

Producers: Stephen Jones, Alan Edward Bell, Paula Mazur

Screenwriters: Joseph Kwong, Paula Mazur, Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett

Music: Patrick Doyle

Editor: Stuart Levy

Genre: Adventure/ Comedy

Cinematography: Stuart Dryburgh

Distributor: Cinestar

Location: Australia

Technical Assessment: * * * 1/2

Moral Assessment: ● ● ● ●

CINEMA Rating: For viewers of all ages

Books connect an 11-year old girl, Nim Rusoe (Abigail Breslin) and her favorite author, Alex Rover who, unknown to her, is actually Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster). The only child of a widower, Jack Rusoe (Gerard Butler), Nim is transported to an exciting world each time she reads the exploits of her idol, Alex Rover (Gerard Butler). In her novels, Alexandra creates her antithesis in Alex, a courageous and adventurous hero. Email messages bridge the distance between Nim who lives in a remote tropical island and Alex, an agoraphobic recluse in a San Francisco apartment. When her microbiologist dad leaves on a plankton hunt and vanishes, the distressed Nim emails her hero, Alex, for help. Her problem is compounded by noisy tourists who have intruded into the privacy of their Island. Alex finally takes an arduous trip to respond to Nim’s appeal after struggling with herself and her fictional character who persuades her to live her story. Far from being a happy meeting between the two, Nim is disappointed that Alexandra is so unlike her know-it-all hero, Alex Rover, and is totally disheartened that she might never see her father again. Could things ever be right again on Nim’s Island or should it be written off as Paradise Lost?

Part of the film’s winning magic is the combined performance of the child star Abigail Breslin and the versatile Jodie Foster in her first comic role; also impressive is Gerard Butler in his dual role as Jack Rusoe and Alex Rover. That the story is related from a child’s point of view allows fantasy even as Nim sounds too mature and self-sufficient for her age. Technical effects and music contribute to the climate of an idyllic existence with rainforests and the sea as background, disrupted occasionally by hurricane and volcanic eruption. Animal trainors should be commended for their handling of a pelican, pet sea lion, and iguanas as friendly and helpful companions of Nim. A pelican trying to communicate with a stranded scientist and dropping a bag of tools to help him repair his boat, Nim riding on a sea lion, and iguanas following Nim’s instructions—they help us stretch our imagination and visualize God’s creation in perfect harmony with each other.

From the examples of Nim and Alex, one learns how good books inspire and provide models, encouraging readers and writers to be the hero of one’s life or one’s own story. Parents and teachers should then try to foster a love for reading among the young to nurture their imagination. Environmentalists will find here a staunch ally in their efforts to preserve nature in its pristine glory, to protect it from commercialization, and to befriend creatures of land, air, and sea. Another endearing point in the story is the affection between a father and his daughter. Although it’s quite certain that mothers or female viewers will be wondering “how can a responsible father leave behind an 11-year-old daughter alone in a deserted island?”, I suppose that part of the fantasy is to reassure us that Nim will be all right in the company of her pet animals and her long distance hero. A feel-good film for the family, Nim’s Island is definitely a refreshing flick to beat the summer heat.