Nim's Island (2008)

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

Directors:

Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin

Writers:

Joseph Kwong (screenplay), Paula Mazur (screenplay)

Stars:

Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler, Abigail Breslin

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 James Baker	...	Ensign (as Christopher Baker)
Maddison Joyce	...	Edmund
Peter Callan	...	Edmund's Father
Rhonda Doyle	...	Shirley - 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

Storyline

Nim Rusoe is a girl who joins her father, a scientist, when he does research on marine life on an island. It's just the two of them but she spends her time making friends with all the animals she encounters, chatting on the computer and reading the adventure books of Alex Rover. When her father goes to do some research but when a storm strikes the island he doesn't come back, she gets worried and frightened. She then e-mails Alex Rover hoping that he will come but what she doesn't know is that Alex Rover is a woman who is agoraphobic and germaphobic. But her creation comes to life and eggs her to go. Unfortunately she has never gone anywhere before and is denied her necessities like her sanitary gel by the customs officer at the airport. In the meantime, Nim tries to be strong while waiting for Alex to arrive.

---

Plot Keywords:

island | girl | author | reading | scientist | 

---

Taglines:

Be the hero of your own story.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild adventure action and brief language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nim's Island

Filming Locations:

Bowen, Queensland, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$37,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,210,579, 6 April 2008

Gross USA:

$48,006,762

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$100,104,565

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walden Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alexander Selkirk, the real-life Scottish Royal Navy officer upon whom Daniel Defoe based his fictional castaway Robinson Crusoe, is referenced in the names of at least five character in this movie: Jack Rusoe, Nim Rusoe, Alex Rover, Alexandra Rover and Selkie, the sea lion.

---

Goofs

(at around 41 mins) When Alex Rover is trying to convince Alexandra Rover to go outside to the taxi, they show the door is latched. In the next scene Alex Rover walks over to the door and the latch is undone.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Nim Rusoe: My dad always told me stories about her- How she was this great oceanographer. Stories about the baby they had and how my mom just had to name her... Nim. She invented that name. At least that's how my dad tells the story. That's all my mother is to me now- just these stories. But they're really some amazing stories. Like the one he calls "The Oceanographer and the Great Blue Whale". Once upon a time, the oceanographer went out on the wide-open sea to find out what was in the ...

---

Connections

Referenced in Dadnapped (2009)

---

Soundtracks

Stay Up Late
(1985)
Written by David Byrne, Chris Frantz (as Christopher Frantz), Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth (as Martina Weymouth)
Performed by Talking Heads
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, Inc./Sire Records and EMI Records U.K.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing and EMI Records U.K.

User Reviews

Nim's comments

It was a cute movie. But, there were some parts that were 'too cute' to enjoy. Some of the animals used...though they were real, looked fake, cheesy, and unrealistic..like the bird.The seal was probably the most realistic acting animal and did a nice job. The lizards used in the film looked real but the the 'voices' they were given were way too cheesy and was the one thing that made them seem fake...although they got a giggle from the kids in the audience. Foster did a great job of portraying a character with agoraphobia, she hit it right on. The rest of the actors did quite well also, Breslin has proved herself to be a known name in the future. I definitely recommend this for the kids.