Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.

Director:

Benh Zeitlin

Writers:

Lucy Alibar (screenplay), Benh Zeitlin (screenplay)

Stars:

Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 92 wins & 123 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Quvenzhané Wallis	...	Hushpuppy
Dwight Henry	...	Wink
Levy Easterly	...	Jean Battiste
Lowell Landes	...	Walrus
Pamela Harper	...	Little Jo
Gina Montana	...	Miss Bathsheba
Amber Henry	...	LZA
Jonshel Alexander	...	Joy Strong
Nicholas Clark	...	Boy with Bell
Joseph Brown	...	Winston
Henry D. Coleman	...	Peter T
Kaliana Brower	...	T-Lou
Philip Lawrence	...	Dr. Maloney
Hannah Holby	...	Open Arms Babysitter
Jimmy Lee Moore	...	Sgt. Major

Storyline

Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in the Bathtub, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink's health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother.

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Plot Keywords:

community | delta | climate change | melting ice caps | child protagonist | 

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Taglines:

¡Sin duda la mejor película del año! [MX]

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material including child imperilment, some disturbing images, language and brief sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 July 2012 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Bestias del sur salvaje

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$169,702, 1 July 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$12,795,746

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,080,058

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinereach,The Department of Motion Pictures,Court 13 Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film won the Mejor Largometraje Ópera Prima Internaciónal (Best International Debut Feature) award at the Guanajuato International Film Festival, which was held in July 2012, along with the New Horizon/Special Jury Award at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in October.

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Goofs

Hushpuppy's father, Wink, is removed from "The Bathtub" and taken to a medical clinic after the storm. While at the clinic, he is obviously sick, and told he must undergo medical treatment to live. Wink refuses the treatment, and is physically restrained by the staff. Later, he is administered painkillers or sedatives to calm him down, which he rejects. In the United States, where this film takes place, an adult citizen has the right to refuse medical treatment. No American doctor or nurse in his or her right mind would ever physically restrain a patient after being informed the patient has declined medical attention. Wink has every right to decline treatment and walk out of the clinic. He also has every right to sue the medical staff for 10 million dollars for the medical treatment he has refused, not to mention assault, and he would almost certainly win that case.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Hushpuppy: All the time, everywhere, everything's hearts are beating and squirting, and talking to each other the ways I can't understand. Most of the time they probably be saying: I'm hungry, or I gotta poop.
[listening to bird's heartbeat]
Hushpuppy: But sometimes they be talkin' in codes.

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Connections

Referenced in Tosh.0: The Oscars Spoiler Alerts (2013)

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Soundtracks

Valse De Balfa
Performed by The Lost Bayou Ramblers
Written by Will Balfa
Published by Flat Town Music Company (BMI)

User Reviews

Once there was a Hushpuppy...

The film is one of those rare examples of every element being extraordinary. The acting, the directing, the script, the music is all superb and blend together to create the magical world of the bathtub. The film looks and sounds amazing. Everything is so beautifully shot, with a crispness and a warmth. The score is used sparingly and is never manipulative. This may be one of those movies that everyone raves about but gets overlooked come Oscar season because it doesn't have a big enough name attached to it or pandered to the Academy enough, but it could easily be nominated for at leave four or five awards. http://amandalovesmovies.com/2012/07/02/beasts-of-the-southern-wild/