Duma (2005)

An orphaned cheetah becomes the best friend and pet of a young boy living in South Africa.

Director:

Carroll Ballard

Writers:

Carol Cawthra Hopcraft (book), Xan Hopcraft (book),

Stars:

Alex Michaeletos, Campbell Scott, Mary Makhatho

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alex Michaeletos	...	Xan (as Alexander Michaletos)
Campbell Scott	...	Peter
Mary Makhatho	...	Thandi
Nthabiseng Kenoshi	...	Lucille
Hope Davis	...	Kristin
Jennifer Steyn	...	Aunt Gwen
Nicky Rebello	...	Coach Nagy (as Nicky Rebelo)
Garth Renecle	...	Hock Bender
André Stolz	...	Xan's Teacher
Charlotte Savage	...	Poetry Student
Ronald Shange	...	Policeman
Eamonn Walker	...	Ripkuna
Nadia Kretschmer	...	Tourist #1
John Whiteley	...	Tourist #2
Clive Scott	...	Tourist #3 - Eager Man

Storyline

During a nightly Porsche ride with his doting rascal Xan, white South African farmer Peter finds and adopts an orphaned cheetah cub, dubbed Duma (just Swahili for cheetah). It becomes the boy's inseparable playmate, even taking it to bed. Peter made clear from the start that the cheetah should be returned to the wild before its full adulthood. But the father is stricken down with a disease just before the cheetah could be returned. Xan's mother sells the farm and moves in with a city aunt. The cheetah escapes, but finds Xan at school, where the new boy is bullied. He decides to run away to the mountains with Duma. On the way they face countless perils, which courage, Xan's intelligence and Duma's instinct overcome.

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Plot Keywords:

cheetah | boy | bed | south africa | africa | 

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Taglines:

Some friendships are wilder than others.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild adventure peril

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 May 2005 (UK)

Also Known As:

How It Was with Dooms

Filming Locations:

Botswana

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$105,422 (USA) (30 September 2005)

Gross:

$860,002 (USA) (28 October 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaylord Films, John Wells Productions, Pandora Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Xan: [observing Peter as he is biting a flower] What on earth are you doing?
Peter: Well, this is simple. You just grab a shaker, fill it up, stuff in the flower and you have... a bottle.
Tourist #1: [brings a bowl of milk] Here you are.
Peter: Cheers!
[pours the milk into a pepper shaker and straps the flower to it]
Xan: [the cub bites him] Ah! He's feisty, dad.
Peter: See if this helps.
[hands Xan the bottle and clicks his tongue to coax the cub]
Xan: [the cub begins to drink a little bit] Hey, he's drinking it!
Peter: Good.
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Movie Friends: Prashant Prabhakar (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Kaboyi, Kaboyi (Woodpecker)"
Traditional Swazi Song
Arranged by Philip Miller
Performed by Nana
Courtesy of Worldgoround Records

User Reviews

Excellent - Reminds me somewhat of "Walkabout"

This film was a rare pleasure to behold, much like the joy I experienced in September 1993 at the Toronto International Film Festival screening of "SIRGA: L'infant Lion" (yet to be released on DVD in North America although released in Germany a few years ago). There are deeper messages here and these are truly welcome, unlike so much of the swill that passes for family entertainment these days. As much as I enjoyed "Two Brothers" (Jean-Jacques Annaud) recently, I do prefer this film by a director whose last film I enjoyed at the Toronto Festival some 8+ years ago - "Fly Away Home".

The journey taken by the 12 year old boy reminds me somewhat of the journey taken by a slightly younger lad and his sister in the also-compelling early 70s Nicholas Roeg film "Walkabout" which I also highly recommend if you like nature-type films (or should I say "au natural" type films ... ha ha). I rate this one 9 out of 10.

Anyway make sure you get to see this once it comes to your part of the world either theatrically or, likelier on DVD.