Right at the tail end of 2016, Disney's new movie, Moana, hit theaters. It's the triumphant story of a young Polynesian woman, Moana, who has to venture across the ocean with the demigod Maui and her chicken Hei-Hei to restore the heart of Te Fiti back to its rightful place before the darkness spreads to her island and destroys it. Disney did it again, producing a wonderful movie full of humor, drama, soul-searching... and music. But Moana is so much more than just a good movie. Here are seven reasons Moana is a must-see for everyone.
1. The complete lack of a love story.
This was my favorite part of the movie: Moana has no love interest. None. At all. No boy on the island her parents want her to marry. Not with Maui. No boy along the way. Even though she is poised to become the chief of her people, there was no pressure for her to get married. There was no talk of romantic love, only family love, her love toward her people, love of her island, and love for Te Fiti (Mother Earth). I particularly loved this aspect because I think it's so important for children to realize that romantic love should not be their life goal. It's important to understand your own life and find out what's best for you before you set your heart on finding someone.
2. The music.
The music has an island feel the whole way through the movie, thanks to the combined efforts of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina. As a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda's I could recognize his style through the whole show (especially in lyrics like "This tradition is our mission" and "Everybody on this island has a role on this island, so maybe I can roll with mine" -- he's a master of the internal rhyme and playing on words). The music felt so authentic and really transported you to the Pacific islands. At the end of the movie, you're left humming "How Far I'll Go" and listening to "Shiny" every morning on your commute.
3. Moana's steadfast optimism.
Moana and Maui face some pretty crazy foes on their journey, like the Kakamora and Tamatoa (not to mention the scary lava monster Te Kā), but Moana remains optimistic through the whole ordeal, confident they will make it to Te Fiti and return the heart back home. She doesn't let her fears define her, which is something everyone could learn.
4. Moana's pride in her heritage, but also in finding her own way.
Moana is incredibly proud of her people. She loved them even before she found out they had been voyagers. All she wanted to do in life was help her people; she wanted to restore the heart so that she could save her island. But regardless of how much she loved her people, she wanted to see what was beyond the reef. She needed to know what else was out in the world so that she could reach her full potential. I identify with Moana on this; I love my family and where we come from, but I feel that desire in me to venture out and see what lies beyond my town.
5. The entire Te Fiti/Te Kā plot line.
Spoiler: Te Fiti and Te Kā are one and the same. After Maui steals her heart, Te Fiti (earth goddess) becomes Te Kā (fire goddess). Except when she is Te Kā, she is vengeful and destroys everyone and everything in her path. Nobody realizes that Te Fiti and Te Kā are the same, so they grow to fear and hate Te Kā, which surely fuels her rage. Te Fiti loses who she is because something incredibly valuable and personal is taken from her. If you read any rape survivor's story, many of them feel like Te Fiti: that they can never be themselves again because they were violated and had something stolen from deep inside them, and many of them lash out at loved ones. But Moana's kindness of understanding of Te Fiti lead her to have a change of heart, transforming from Te Kā back to Te Fiti. Kindness goes a long way. It can change a scary fire goddess to a loving earth goddess, and it can change a scared, angry person into a happy, healthy person. They just need to feel loved.
6. The portrayal of Moana (and her voice actor).
Most Disney princesses have crazy unrealistic bodies, but Moana is different. She genuinely looks like a 16-year-old Polynesian girl (complete with long hair that actually was portrayed like annoying long hair -- ladies, you know what I mean), and she was played by 16-year-old Auli'i Cravalho from Hawaii. Auli'i is a real-life Moana, and she was perfect for the role. She's very down to earth, and relates to Moana in many ways (other than their shared heritage). Auli'i is very humble and so happy to be doing what she's doing: getting to share her love of her island heritage with the world.
7. Hei-Hei.
"If you wear a dress and have an animal sidekick, you're a princess." Who doesn't love crazy chickens that are dumb as door knobs but are also incredibly endearing?
Moana has been a game-changer since it came out, and it will continue to inspire children (and adults!) for years to come. It was one of the first movies I've ever openly cried at because I identified with Moana so much. I understand her desire to stay home with her family and choose the life she was born to have, and her desire to leave her island and see what lay beyond the reef.
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