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Media Representation: Moana

If you have not watched Disney's Moana yet, you are missing out. Yes, it's a kids movie, but Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is in it! So if for any other reason, watch the movie already.  If you aren't familiar with the movie, the basic plot is that on the Polynesian island of Motunui, the people who live there worship the goddess Te Fiti. Te Fiti is part of traditional Polynesian deity. Anyway, Dwayne Johnson's character, Maui, steals the heart of Te Fiti which is the source of her power. Maui steals the heart to give to humans for the power of creation. Te Fiti disinigrates and Maui is attacked by Te Ka who is a volcanic demon. In that fight, Maui is blasted out of the ski losing both his magical fish hook and the heart to the depths of the sea. Thousands of years later, the ocean chooses baby Moana to find the heart of Te Fiti and return it to her. Moana is the daughter of Motunui's chief, Tui, who has big plans for his daughter since she is next in line to rule her people. To save her people from a blight that strikes the island, Moana wants to go beyond the barrier reef to figure out what is happening but her father forbids it. Moana's grandmother shows her a cave where her ancestor's ships are hidden showing her that she is descended from voyagers. They stopped on their explorations when Maui stole the heart of Te Fiti making the sea no longer safe to travel. Tala, Moana's grandmother, tells her that Te Ka's darkness is poisoning the ocean killing all the fish that the islanders depend on for nourishment. Shortly afterward, Tala gets sick and is on her death bed. Tala tells Moana to find Maui and return Te Fiti's heart to save their people.

Moana, her pet pig, and chicken set out on an epic voyage. They find Maui - who tries to trick her into giving him her boat - and they find where Maui's magical fishhook ended up. After they win back the fishhook and Maui learns to control it again, the two set out again to find Te Fiti. They eventually find the island where Te Fiti is only to be attacked by Te Ka. Maui's hook is damaged and he essentially bails on her. Moana almost gives up but her grandmother's spirit animal appears and Moana's faith is bolstered and sets out to return the heart. In the end, Moana realizes that Te Ka is a corrupted version of Te Fiti with her heart. The ocean parts and Moana walks to Te Ka to return Te Fiti's heart. When she gets her heart back, Te Fiti heals the ocean and islands of blight. Maui apologizes to Te Fiti who then restores his hook. Before she falls into a deep sleep and becoming a mountain, Te Fiti gives Moana a new boat and she returns home to her parents and her people. She takes on her role as chief and wayfinder and leads her people on a voyage.

Moana's family structure is typical for a lot of Polynesian families. You have your nuclear family of parents and siblings but most of the time that includes elderly parents living with that nuclear family. Extended family members often live nearby and are depended on frequently. Most Polynesian families that I know have many generations living close together. They live separately from each other for the most part but depend on each other to watch children or help out in some way.

Some people might find that family structure stifling. Some might enjoy it. For me as an introvert, it makes me a little overwhelmed when my big Hawaiian family gets together but I love them. This introvert movie watcher gives Moana two big thumbs up. Watch it. It won't disappoint!


Reference: Clements, R., Musker, J., Hall, D., Williams, C., Bush, J., Shurer, O., Cravalho, A., ... Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Firm),. (2017). Moana.

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