The Legend of Johnny Lingo
Movie • 2003 • Family
ReportSynopsis
When a storm washes a canoe bearing an infant boy ashore upon a small South Pacific island, he is at first well-received as a gift from the heavens, even to the point of the tribal chief adopting him as a successor. However, with time as hardships are blamed upon Tama (as he is named), he is finally outcast to live with the poorest people on the island, Mahana and her drunken father. Mahana is considered homely and undesirable, but Tama feels differently, so when he is old enough to build a craft to sail away, he vows to return for her one day. A lucky stroke brings him to land upon the island of the legendary Johnny Lingo, the wealthiest trader in the islands, and after years of service to him, Tama has learned much about life and himself as he dreams of honoring his pledge to Mahana.
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HappyMom
A little girl suffers as her drunken father yells at her and sees her as the cause of his troubles, his adopted boy is treated the same. Other people are mean to the children and they're mean back. Children are not wanted for normal childhood reasons (red mark on him, birthdate conflict, or accidently started a fire)--Tama is considered a demon and sent from house to house, he can only stay if he proves himself, eventually he can't take it and he runs away. Mahana, the biological daughter, is treated with a bit more gratitude. SPOILER when Tama runs off he comes under house arrest for stealing by strangers (he's only 10). He is forced into child labor after that for 8 years. One of his guardians is kind but the other doesn't seem to be.
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Does someone die by suicide?
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Does someone attempt suicide?
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Is rape mentioned?
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HappyMom
Not exactly--but it still may be triggering: a father arranges a marriage of his daughter to an older man without her knowledge. She refuses and we never see the marriage, however later she is bartered over by another man she also isn't interested in, this time she attends the bartering, but she walks out at one point (we don't know if this means she has refused, or to cry). A woman also tries to seduce a man by first offering food and then embracing him and playing with what he's wearing saying "I could certainly make it worth your while": he runs out. There's also another point where drunk boys look for Mahanna and say Mahanna, marry me. Mahanna throws rocks to get them to leave.
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HappyMom
A drunk father yells at his daughter, I think he throws something down--the girl flinches
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Are there incestuous relationships?
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Is there sexual content?
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HappyMom
A teenage girl (maybe adult) dresses acts seductively on a catwalk. As she does this someone whispers into a man's ear that her virtue is to be questioned. A woman approaches a man with food and sets it down she seductively embraces him and plays with what he's wearing, saying that if the man introduces her daughter to a rich man she would "certainly make it worth your while". We don't know if she's married or a widow--but he later appears to accept her advances (she tries to tickle him with an object and he smiles). A young woman breaks off a betrothal in hopes of attracting a man, but says (this is actually through her father's negotiating, the girl doesn't talk because that's the way they do it on the island) that this is only temporary. We are told by the boy's father that she is acting shamefully. For a time the boy won't accept her back once her sexy catwalk is over and the rich man chooses not to barter for her. Age-specific gender names are used interchangeably by me here as many of the characters are borderline in age, I don't think it's pedophila going on, but it is hard to tell if love interests are adults or teens.
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Are there jump scares?
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HappyMom
If you count the father's yelling, other tense moments that come on suddenly, and the slapping scene when SPOILER Mahana leans in for a kiss
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Are there abusive parents?
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HappyMom
A mean drunk, a mother who hates her adoptive son
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Are there nude scenes?
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HappyMom
Mahanna is bathing naked, a boy steals her clothes, we don't see any private parts--but she's only screened by a waterfall falling at an angle.
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Are there "Man in a dress" jokes?
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HappyMom
No, but a boy tries to make a dress shirt into a sarong/lavalava of sorts. He's laughed at. The point is to show he's from one of the less "civilized" islands--the "civilized" men do wear these wraps, but they pair it with westernized clothing (and while we're on that subject, since there's no where to put this, he acts like a scared animal around utensils and western equipment, which might feel like it's making fun of traditional islanders, however it's westernized islanders and traditional islanders acting uncomfortable around each other, not white colonizers, although I do think there was a painting of a british man in an islander's bedroom with a big mustache; we never hear about why it's there. The story is narrated by a fascinated white man, but the movie is sponsored by a south pacific affiliated company. Some very traditional people are portrayed as violent, willing to "spill blood" if the gods are not pleased, other islands don't seem to have this attitude).
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Is someone sexually objectified?
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HappyMom
An engaged girl breaks off her betrothal in hopes of catching the eye of a rich man, and plans on being rengaged after he leaves the island. The girls walk a catwalk and flaunt themselves, except for Mahanna who chooses not to (we later hear Mahanna is self-respecting and her virtue is not in question). The rich man doesn't look closely at the girls--although they hope he will, some are adults, some teens--all around his age.
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Is a mentally ill person violent?
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HappyMom
Father gets frequently drunk due to the passing of a wife. He becomes violent at worst and careless and rude at best.
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Is a child abandoned by a parent?
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HappyMom
Tama has four sets of adoptive parents, the first two abandon him, the last two he tries to abandon. A baby is found in a boat, we later learn SPOILER that it was an accident.
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Is a child's toy destroyed?
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HappyMom
No, but an object of sentiment since birth is handled roughly and then given away (willingly)
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Does a parent die?
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HappyMom
Parents died, but they were before the movie began SPOILER a beloved guardian dies (we simply see his gravestone)
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Does a woman get slapped?
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Is there body dysmorphia?
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HappyMom
Girls care intensely about how they look in a scene, they make fun of Mahana for how she looks. The big issue is hair combing with a large polynesian hairdo being called a rat's nest earlier and girls combing again in another scene. People keep calling Mahana ugly, "Mahana you ugly" is a major line. At one point a potential lover tries to put a flower in her hair but it won't stick, he throws it out, "you don't need it," he says. She's both flattered/sad. She seems generally hurt about her appearance and calls herself the ugliest girl on the island both as a child and as an adult, and just her appearance is, to paraphrase, a "flaunt". People say that her father might get a lunch for her at her bridal bartering but no more. SPOILER in the end she appears to start combing her hair which is now practically straight and can hold a flower and a visitor hearing her story looks on startled at her beauty.
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Are there anxiety attacks?
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HappyMom
Baby potentially caught in a house fire, mother breaks down (baby is okay). Several times Mahanna is upset and once storms out, but not as bad as the previous breakdown. At one point a man has to make a journey to save someone's life, he looks very scared and at one point is panting on the shore and a man shows up and threatens him. You can imagine the flight or fight horomones racing through the protaganist.
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Is someone stalked?
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HappyMom
Johnny Lingo wants to know all about Mahanna, and it makes her uncomfortable. He even shows up when she's bathing and steals her clothes to make her talk.
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Is someone beaten up by a bully?
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HappyMom
Rocks thrown and name calling. There is general bullying, and bullies get drunk. Nothing happens in that latter case but it gets close. Mahanna slaps a man--it's a jarring jump scare that could qualify as domestic abuse if she were married to him. SPOILER this happens in the final scene just as she's about to kiss him.
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Is someone tortured?
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HappyMom
An elderly man is held captive for insulting the gods and a young man has to take an impossible journey to save him by himself by bringing back a cow. When he comes back the elderly man appears to have been held captive, I can't remember if he was actually tied up or it was implied. He asked if the people hurt him, he grimaces and says with a pause, "they were hospitable". There's also a horrifying scene where we think a baby has been burned alive and the mother breaks down (they're okay)
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Were animals harmed in the making?
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HappyMom
Most likely, see my other comment on animal abuse. However it should be noted that the credits claim the opposite.
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Is there defecation?
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HappyMom
On-screen peeing--a baby leaks through its diaper. There's also loud gas-passing in the water while children are playing. One of the children tries to wave away the smell.
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Are animals abused?
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HappyMom
Tama spreads an octopus forcibly over his arm--unlike dogs and cats who work for rewards I can't see how the octopus would enjoy this. He also pokes a crab with a stick--I'm not sure if the crab is afraid or would just find it a nuisance, but once again it's unlikely it's permitting this in hopes of a reward. I hesitate to mention fishing because for most people eating animals is a separate fact of life from abuse, but you do see caught fish; I don't know if they're real.
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HappyMom
It was super foolish of that boy to runaway and brave the open ocean on his own--he gets beached and assumes he's in heaven. They are also missing the drug category on here that's in other movies. Tahitian Noni sponsored the movie and the drink is marketed as "a treasure" in the movie and you are under the impression that it is hand-squeezed by inmates or something. Come to find out the drink is a natural asprin/tylenol and has the same negative side effects/risks consequently. Very odd to be marketing it in a children's movie. The people in the movie seem to be drinking it recreationally--it's not like pineapple juice or grape juice but a viewer might think it is. Commercializing a medicine in a film marketed towards children like it's some kind of magical exotic drink is very shocking.
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Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
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Does an abused person forgive their abuser?
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HappyMom
Mahanna forgives her father when she's asked if she'll run away from him. She tries to comfort him after he yells at her. She slaps a character who forgives her. A man appears to accept the advances later of a woman (possibly married--she's a mother) after her advances were unwanted earlier. Childhood enemies and friends forgive each other (although this latter one isn't abuse, but the character had felt abandoned). A cheater is forgiven. Islanders are treated as if they are uncivilized (not in comparison to whites, but westernized islanders comparing themselves to traditional islanders) and do not have things of value. This elicits frowns. However when they are told that their women are beautiful and virtuous, and this is their island's best resource, all is forgiven.
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