Moana

The message of the movie “Moana” focuses around the idea of  following your dreams, even if the odds are stacked against you. The film began with a young Moana first being called by the ocean through a special connection that only she shared, however  her father abruptly crushes this dream due to his fear of the ocean, and dedication of his entire life to protecting his people from the dangers of the unknown.  However, Moana’s curiosity of what lies outside the comfort zone of her home ensued, and she continued to question the possibilities of life outside of her reef. When a curse is brought onto her island, Moana felt called by the ocean to save her people and the island itself from dying. Although she had never sailed or traveled outside of her home, Moana set out on her quest with the guidance of her grandmother, and famous demigod. Throughout her journey, Moana fights through a series of battles, both physically and mentally. Physically, she had to fight off intruders trying to steal her precious metal. Mentally, she questioned her ability as “the chosen one” and also as the future leader of her people. She also questioned if she was truly capable of saving her island and people.  However, her most important challenge at the end has her facing the root of the curse on her own, without the guidance of her demigod friend. Moana had to face her fears head on, and stare right into the eyes of the evil curse. Looking into its eyes, Moana remembered everything she had endured to get to that spot. She recalled every piece of knowledge from her journey, and her parents, and reversed the curse that haunted her home and people. In the end, Moana reaffirmed her belief that more lies beyond the reef, but she also learned about herself. She learned that her intuition to travel across the ocean was ultimately her destiny in order to save her people, and that throughout all this time, her connection to the ocean was special. Without following her dream of exploring the unknown, Moana would have never saved her island, or become the amazing leader of her people.