I need to talk about this scene because it’s so different from the typical way pep talks go.
Moana has just suffered a tremendous defeat and been abandoned by Maui, her demi-god ally. She’s understandably upset- the heart of Te Fiti has to be restored or decay will consume her island. And yet she’s just one teenage girl on a damaged canoe- how is she supposed to face down Te Ka, actual vengeful Lava monster?
Her fairy godmother grandmother’s spirit doesn’t come in with a magical fix, insist her doubts are baseless and/or bluster that she should just get on with the impossible. She comforts her and tells her it was too big a task to expect of her (all true!) and then tells her it’s okay to give up, that she will be there with unconditional support to help her go home, no guilt or shame.
THIS. NEVER. HAPPENS. IN. STORIES.
And it should. “Encouragement” is so often a lot like bullying in narratives, even towards characters that are children. “I know you have it in you (even though you were just soundly beaten)! Now get back out there (even though you’re miserable)!”
Instead, Gramma waits until Moana herself realizes that she’s not ready to give up, through self reflection. She wasn’t there to insist that Moana “suck it up”, but simply to “remind [her] that come what may, [she] know[s] the way”.
In many Polynesian cultures the Hongi (or Honi) is a traditional greeting that involves pressing foreheads/noses and inhaling at the same time. This symbolises ha, or the breath of life, being exchanged between both parties. It is sometimes followed by a kiss on the cheek or a hug followed by exhaling.
In the beginning, there was only ocean. Until the Mother Island emerged: Te Fiti. Her heart held the greatest power ever known. It could create life itself and Te Fiti shared it with the world.
Whats up with Hei Hei in some of the Moana promo art and posters? Like
And like
And even????
He’s so angry and ready to Throw Down
But then in actuality he’s just
Disney explain
I went to the “Behind the Scenes” panel for Moana at CTN expo this year and the explanation is as follows:
In development, HeiHei used to be a character meant to be Moana’s watchdog. He stands to the side making sure she stays out of trouble (and away from the sea) and judges her (sort of like Flint the hummingbird from Pocahontas) but the directors were worried that it made him too unlikeable. John Lasseter gave the crew about 48 hours to think of a way to figure out how to save his character or else he’d be cut from the film. So instead HeiHei’s IQ was lowered waaaay down, making him more lovable and funny. During a story pitch in which Moana had to retrieve the Heart of Te Fiti from the Kakamora, she originally only retrieved the stone. The artists reboarded it exactly the same except HeiHei swallowed it and the Kakamora was lugging around a chicken instead and it instantly made everything more hilarious. To which Lasseter exclaimed at that moment: “THE CHICKEN LIVES!” an inside joke that was kept at the end of the film when the ocean spat HeiHei onto the shore and Maui remarks “the chicken lives!”
best thing about this movie was the perfectly marketed/polished commercial animal side kick just waiting to be the new olaf and then its in the movie for like 3 mins tops and instead a chicken that eats rocks gets to be the disney animal companion™
Best parts of Moana:
-no love interest
-Moana had proportions like an actual human and wasn’t sexualized
-Disney princess set to inherit is actually depicted being trained in running her society
-COCONUT PIRATES
-no dead parents!
-bechdel test pass
-respectful depiction of source material and culture
-the music oh my god!!!!!
-Maui’s 4th wall breaks
-no actual villain
-closest thing to a villain was David Bowie crab
-Lin-Manuel Miranda
-the chicken
-my giant green wife
what i do is not up to you 