Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
This film always reminds me of Starland and the happiest time I’ve probably ever had in a job. I put the rental stickers on this one myself, and on top of that, it’s just an amazing film. If you haven’t seen it, as I write this, it’s streaming on American Netflix. If you can get your hands on it? Watch it *ASAP*. And also stop reading this because spoilers incoming.
Fun Fact: The fourth film directed by Taika Waititi to premiere at Sundance Festival, after Eagle vs Shark (2007), Boy (2010), and What We Do in the Shadows (2014), which all won critical acclaim.
Paula: Apparently, he’s a bit of a handful, a real bad egg. I mean, if you look at his file, you’ll see that for yourself. We’re talking disobedience, stealing, spitting, running away, throwing rocks, kicking stuff, defacing stuff, burning stuff, loitering, and graffiti. And that’s just the stuff we know about.
Hec: [meeting Ricky] You ever worked on a farm before or you just... ornamental?
Bella: [to Ricky] Come on, have some breakfast, then you can run away.
Hec: [to Ricky] Yeah. Leave me alone.
Ricky: Maggots wriggling in that sheep / Like moving rice. Yuck. That was my haiku about maggots. It’s called “Maggots”.
Bella: [after Ricky gets a dog] What are you gonna call him? Ricky Baker: I'm still thinking. Something fierce to reflect its true nature. Either Psycho, Megatron or Tupac. Bella: What's a Tupac? Ricky Baker: It’s just my... this really cool rapper [mumbles] and he’s, like, my best friend...
Minister: Like a sheep trapped in a maze designed by wolves.
Minister: You would think Jesus. I thought Jesus the first time I came across that door. It's not Jesus. It's another door. And guess what's on the other side of that door? Yeah, Jesus. He's tricky like that, Jesus.
Ricky Baker: I ran out of toilet paper, give me some of yours. Hec: Eh? Ricky Baker: I've gotta poop. I need to poop, you need to poop, we all poop. Hec: Use a leaf. Ricky Baker: A leaf? Ugh! I hate you. [Ricky walks away] Hec: And bury it! Ricky Baker: I'll bury you.
Paula: This ain't no charred foster kid.
Andy: Something definitely happened, but I’m wondering what. Paula: Okay, I’m gonna need you to shut up, Andy, ‘cause you’re doin’ my freakin’ head in.
Ricky Baker: [reading wanted poster] "Faulkner is cauc-asian" - well, they got that wrong because you're obviously white.
Hec: You can take him, but I'm staying here. Hugh: Like hell. People want answers. Ron: Yeah, answers. Hec: Look, we got lost, I got injured, he's fine, it was basically a holiday. Ricky Baker: Not a real holiday because he made me do stuff. Hugh: Like what? Ricky Baker: Just stuff. He had a sore leg so he made me do things for him. It was hard at first because my hands are so soft, but I got used to it. I didn't really wanna do it, but it was the only way to survive. It wasn't always hard, sometimes I got to do my own thing. He pretty much never joined in with me though. I asked if he wanted to play with me, but he would just make me play with myself. Ron: I feel sick.
Hec: What's juvie? Ricky Baker: Juvenile prison. They don't care about kids like me, they just keep moving us around until something happens like... Amber. Hec: Oh no, bugger then. Okay, okay. We're in about a million hectares of bush, that's big, it's big enough to hide in for a while, anyway. Ricky Baker: Good enough for me. Hec: But we're heading into winter. It's gonna be rough, no huts, no tents, real bush life. Can you handle that? Ricky Baker: I can handle it. Hec: Yeah. And if you play up, I dump you. Ricky Baker: Okay, Uncle. Hec: I'd still prefer if you don't call me Uncle. Ricky Baker: Okay, Hec. So what do we do now? Hec: We run. [They run for a few seconds, then stop out of breath] Hec: Wait, wait wait. Maybe we don't need to run. Ricky Baker: Oh yeah, let's just fast walk.
Hec: Pretty majestical, aye? Ricky Baker: I don't think that's a word. Hec: Majestical? Sure it is. Ricky Baker: Nah, it's not real. Hec: What would you know? Ricky Baker: It's majestic. Hec: That doesn't sound very special, majestical's way better.
Hec: Me and this fat kid / We ran, we ate, and read books / And it was the best.
ESE: 110/100
50 +5 for Bella Falkner’s sweater +5 for giving a pig a piggyback +3 for haikus +15 for the Ricky Baker birthday song +5 for Tupac the dog -10 for Bella’s death +5 for the weird minister -5 for burning the barn -3 for the foot injury +5 for Ricky trying to talk things out with Hec +2 for Andy +3 for Ricky’s goofy headdress -5 for the assholes in the hut +10 for “Shit. Just. Got. Real.” +5 for fast-walk +5 for Bella’s heart of gold +5 for Kahu +10 for Kahu’s dad -5 for sleeping in -10 for “a new Bella” +10 for not trading family for anything +5 for the Wilderpeople -10 for Zag being gored by the boar +10 for Bushman aka Psycho Sam +5 for Crumpy -10 for car crash -10 for Hec being arrested +5 for Ricky staying with Kahu +5 for Hec learning to read +5 for Hec’s haiku
