Moana
Movie: Moana
Grandma Role: Gramma Tala
Played By: Rachel House
Salient Grandma Trait: Unconditional Support
Between The Hamilton Mixtape and Moana, it seems that Lin Manuel-Miranda is bent on scoring my December. That’s fine with me, as it is blocking out the Christmas music that my family would otherwise insist on playing despite my injunction on all things holiday related until the official start of winter on December 21st.
Moana is the newest Disney animated feature about a young girl, the eponymous Moana, and her journey across Polynesia to find Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and save the world. Like most Disney movies, the songs are catchy and if you have kids that is all you will be hearing for the foreseeable future. Everyone will have a personal favorite, and while it may not be “Shiny,” that song will convince you that Jemaine Clement would absolutely kill it doing Bowie’s “Life on Mars” on karaoke night. But enough about the music, let’s hear about Gramma Tala. And don’t worry – no spoilers.
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At first meeting, Gramma Tala, voiced by Kiwi mainstay Rachel House, comes dangerously close to being a generic “wisdom” character. She hits all the cliché marks:
- Historical exposition monologue
- Village “crazy lady” that is actually the only one that sees the imminent threat
- Guiding light for a “lost” character trying to “find” herself
- Encouraging while staying hands-off so as to allow the main character to find her own way
However, right as we are about to dismiss Gramma Tala as a tired and forgettable character, she displays a refreshing nuance in her championing of Moana. Twice Moana turns her back on her destiny, and Gramma Tala stands by without a hint of disappointment. Gramma Tala goes beyond the normal support you see these characters typically displaying.
Support is easy to provide when the one you are guiding is traveling in the direction you desire. It becomes more difficult when their path diverts from what you believe is the ideal. And it is almost impossible to provide when the person turns completely away. Most people can’t bring themselves to support one who they perceive as going the wrong way. But Gramma Tala does.
To provide unconditional support, you must believe that a person is doing exactly what they need to do to get to where they need to go. Where the normally supportive would see the person as going backward, the unconditionally supportive believe that those steps back might be the only way to go forward. And that is what Gramma Tala does that feels unique in the traditional wisdom character.
Parents and friends are often too close and inexperienced to provide unconditional support in the face of what they believe is a mistake or a wrong turn. Grandmas, however, by the nature of their experience in seeing multiple paths leading people where they should be, can serve as champions to their grandchildren. Grandma knows that you will figure it out and she’ll support you no matter what.
P.S. The short, Inner Workings, that plays before the movie is alone worth the price of admission.
