Nim's Island (2008)

Directors:

Jennifer Flackett
Mark Levin

Writers (WGA):

Joseph Kwong (screenplay) &
Paula Mazur (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 April 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Be the hero of your own story.

Plot:

A young girl inhabits an isolated island with her scientist father and communicates with a reclusive author of the novel she's reading.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Young Girl | Author | Hero | Book

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Dec. 11

6:30 AM

MAX

Cast

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 #2
Dorothy Thorsen	...	Blue-Haired Woman
Penny Everingham	...	Older Woman Tourist

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild adventure action and brief language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Malaysia:U | USA:PG (certificate #43560) | Ireland:PG | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Canada:G (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:All | UK:U | Taiwan:GP | Hong Kong:I | Finland:K-7 | Mexico:A | Argentina:Atp | Portugal:M/6 | Norway:7 | Sweden:7 | New Zealand:PG | Peru:PT | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Bowen, Queensland, Australia

Company:

Walden Media

Trivia:

Lulu Mickelson, the daughter of producer/screenwriter Paula Mazur, appears briefly in the airport scene as a passenger waiting in line at the security checkpoint.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster) is flying from San Francisco to Raratonga (Cook Islands) via Borneo (Kalimantan in Indonesia). It is very unlikely to happen because between San Francisco and Borneo the airplane will have well passed the Cook Islands. The nearest international airport that may take her to Cook Islands is Nadi in Fiji (South Pacific) and from there can fly to Cook Islands via Air Pacific. Borneo is in the South Asia region. So it is crazy enough to transit in Asia while the destination is in the South Pacific island.

Quotes:

Alexandra Rover: I took a plane, I took a helicopter, I stole a boat!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dadnapped (2009) (TV)

Above Average Family Movie

Nim's Island manages to never to go over the top and combines a nice comedy drama genre for the big screen. This movie has elements from The Last Action Hero (1993), Jumping Jack Flash (1986), and The Whalerider (2002), all fascinating looks at either imaginary or fantastical friends or exotic islands and a young woman's connection with marine life. What this movie is able to avoid is Home Alone (1990) dumb slapstick comedy. The script was very sensitive and careful with physical comedy and Jodie Foster's performance was dead on without becoming sloppy at all. Unfortunately, several of the plot points became close to cheesy, the volcano scenes had too much in the way of coincidental events, and the father's exploits teetered on unbelievable. Overall, though Nim's Island handled its material well, usually stayed within the bounds of acceptability in order to provide an entertaining, fun performance by Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin. Seven out of Ten Stars.