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 91 wins & 129 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 | child protagonist | southern u.s. | 

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Taglines:

Discover the most MAGICAL film of the year

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

As part of a 'Celebrate Brooklyn' event, the movie was screened in the New York City borough's Prospect Park band shell with a local orchestra playing the soundtrack, along with the score's composing duo Benh Zeitlin and Dan Romer in August 2013.

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Goofs

When Hushpuppy places the Michael Jordan jersey on her sleeping father the shot is reversed - the number 23 is backwards.

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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

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winners (2016)

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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

A film about community

This film follows a young girl named Hush Puppy who lives in an impoverished community in the American Deep South. They have all the problems you'd expect but there are so many connections and are happy the way things are. We see a dichotomy between the inner world of humanity and the outer world of bureaucracy.

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 July 2012 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$169,702, 1 July 2012

Gross USA:

$12,795,746

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,107,746

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinereach, 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