NIM’S ISLAND

US, 2008, 96 minutes, Colour.
Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Madison Joyce, Michael Carman.
Directed by Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin.

Nim’s Island is based on a popular children’s novel by Wendy Orr. It should appeal to a younger girls’ audience who can identify with the story’s heroine, the lively Nim. She is played with confidence by Abigail Brselin (who already has an Oscar nomination for her performance in Little Miss Sunshine). She is at the centre of the film. Her island (well equipped with mod cons and electronic technology) is a kind of neo- Swiss Family Robinson home where she and her widowed father (Gerard Butler) live a pleasantly isolated live – although she has all her animal pets and friends. He is a scientist, exploring the seas for specimens. He brings in many books for her to read and she is especially enthralled with the adventures of a hero, Alex Rover. She imagines a lot of these stories – and Gerard Butler plays the part of Alex Rover.

Meanwhile, the author of the books, Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster) is an obsessive, agoraphobic eccentric in San Francisco who emails Nim’s father for information about volcanoes. Father is away on an expedition which runs into a huge storm. Nim answers, anxious about her father. Alexandra puts fear to one side and braves the trip by taxi, plane, boat and helicopter and, finally, rowing boat to reach the island. This gives rise to a lot of slapstick comedy – which, on the evidence of her performance, is not Jodie Foster’s forte.

There is an interlude where a boatload of tourists arrive for barbeque and games on the island and Nim does her best (or her worst) to get rid of them.

The appeal of the film and characters is for girls. Boys might not be so tolerant. Parents who accompany their daughters will be fitfully amused as the film is not at all geared to them either.

1.A family-oriented film? The impact for children? What age? Impact for parents?

2.The South Pacific setting, the island, the tropical atmosphere, the jungle, the sea? The Australian locations standing in? Musical score?

3.The blend of reality and fantasy? Stories, real life, imagination, imagined stories?

4.The introduction: Jack, Nim’s mother, the research, the whale, the reappearance of the whale later, the family’s search for her? Seeing her as protecting them? Nim, her age, on the island, the modern home, the electronic equipment, yet isolated? Her island paradise?

5.Jack, his character, scientific ability, research, the emails and questions, the National Geographic article, his missing his wife, love for Nim, protecting her? The arrival of the books? The pleasure in reading the books about Alex Rover? His going on the expedition, his success, naming the species after Nim? The storm, the destruction of the boat? His survival? Fixing the boat? The help from Galileo the pelican? The whale passing by? His finally sailing back?

6.Nim, her love of life, agile, her reading, imagining Alex Rover? Her father fitting the picture of Alex Rover? The desert and his adventures? The email question, her replying to Alex? Her being alone, concerned about her father and the storm, her friendship with Freddie and Galileo? The other animals? Her food – and the worms? The arrival of the tourists, her pushing down the rocks, the volcano emitting ash? Edmund seeing her, her meeting with him? The message for Alex to come?

7.Jodie Foster as Alex, her work, writing, living alone, San Francisco, the phone calls from her agent, the demands for a new manuscript? Research about the volcano, Jack’s article? The images? The emails? Alex Rover being Alexandra’s alter-ego? Her Animus figure? Her needing to blend her own character with that of the adventurous Alex? Her manias, phobias, the deliveries, the mail, her going out, the enquiries, the decision to go to help Alex? Her journey, her packing, the skin lotions, the pratfalls, the taxi, luggage, Security rejecting her bottles? The plane, annoying the other passengers? The toilet, the sleeping pills, the flight attendants urging her off? Borneo, wanting to go to the Cook Islands, the plane, the taxi, the boat, carrying the luggage? The helicopter? The tourist boat, landing? In the rowing boat, the storm, her arrival?

8.Nim’s disappointment with Alex, as a woman, her timidity, their clashes? The gradual bonding, sharing, the adventures, the worms and the food?

9.Jack, his arrival back, meeting Alex? Their hitting it off together?

10.The inevitable happy ending – and a future?