An adventure comedy, Nim's Island is about becoming the hero of your own story - as a girl who thought she was alone and a grown woman who thought she was scared of the world discover they can be so much more than they ever dreamed. On Nim's Island anything can happen, a place where imagination runs wild and adventure rules. Here, a feisty young girl named Nim, surrounded by her exotic animal friends and inspired by legends and books, leads an amazing tropical existence that mirrors that of her favorite literary hero: Alex Rover, the world's greatest adventurer. When her island is threatened she reaches out to her hero for help. But what Nim doesn't know is that the acclaimed author of the Rover books in, in fact, Alexandra Rover, a retiring, fainthearted recluse locked away in a big city apartment. Now, as Alexandra nervously ventures forth into the world and Nim faces the biggest challenge of her exciting young life, they must both draw courage from the fictional gallantry of Alex Rover, and find strength in one another to save Nim's Island.
Directed by
Jennifer Flackett; Mark Levin.
Written by
Joseph Kwong (screenplay); Paula Mazur (screenplay); Mark Levin (screenplay); Jennifer Flackett (screenplay); Wendy Orr (novel "Nim's Island").
Starring
Abigail Breslin (Nim Rusoe); Jodie Foster (Alexandra Rover); Gerard Butler (Jack Rusoe / Alex Rover); Michael Carman (Captain); Mark Brady (Purser); Anthony Simcoe (First Mate); Christopher Baker (Ensign); Peter Callan (Edmund's Father); Rhonda Doyle (Edmund's Mother); Russell Butler (Old Fisherman); Colin Gibson (Cruise Director); Bryan Probets (Australian Tourist #1); Andrew Nason (Australian Tourist #1); Dorothy Thorsen (Blue-Haired Woman); Penny Everingham (Older Woman Tourist). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
Important: the following essays and comments are authored by Soul Food Cinema readers. Whilst the Editor prays for the spiritual integrity of all content of this site, it should be noted that these represent personal opinions and carry no official endorsement. If you consider any content to be a misrepresentation of Catholic teaching, please contact SFC. May God bless you and enlighten you in your reading.
-
Articles, Essays and Reviews
-
Please contact SFC if you are interested in submitting an essay on this film.
-
Readers' Comments and Opinions
-
Click the link to comment on this film. You may like to copy the film title and year (as given above) to your clipboard now for pasting into the following form.
-
An inoffensive but unoriginal film
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Limited Recommendation
With the estimated $37 million budget for Nim's Island I'm sure I could've come up with something a bit more exciting and original... this whole production was far too manufactured for me and there was no memorable story to carry it through whatsoever. In terms of lack of originality there are several contenders that have been in children's desert-island teritory and done a far better job of things - most notably the somewhat aged, but still enjoyable, The Swiss Family Robinson. And in terms of a writer dealing with agrophobia As Good as it Gets has pretty much covered that teritory already. Of the good points for Nim's Island the film probably does have some limited appeal to children and I wouldn't be concerned with sitting kids down in front of the TV to watch it; it promotes some degree of expanding one's imagination and also deals with confronting one's fears for the good of another to good effect. However, there is little that's memorable about the film overall - save for Nim referring to her father by his first name (Jack) at regular periods through the film; which just became annoying. The fact that Gerard Butler plays both Alex Rover and Nim's father was completely lost on me until I came to look up the names to write this review; this is perhaps something the director could have used to greater effect by adding more depth if he had explored it further. All in all Nim's Island is one to wait for until it comes on free-to-air television.
