Character Review for Australia--Nullah

Nullah(played by Brandon Walters) is a child who plays an important role in this movie. He has dark skin, brown curly hair and looks like an aborigine. His innocent eyes attract me the most. He is a mixed race Aboriginal boy who was born to an Aboriginal mother and an unknown white father (Fletcher). White people usually call him half cast or creamy. He grows up in Faraway Downs, a cattle ranch which is managed by Lady Sarah Ashley after the death of her husband.

As Nullah lives in the outback, he is uneducated since he does not have a chance to go to school. In the movie, we can see that he uses broken English and their native language all the way. Furthermore, he believes in magic (kalapa). He tells people that his grandfather King George (an aboriginal witch doctor) has magic; and he teaches him how to sing a fish song to catch fish, how to sing down fear evil spirit and wild beast, how to become invisible underwater, and how to play magic. Nullah also believes the saying of King George that in order to become a man, he has to go on a walkabout.

As a child, Nullah is sometimes naive and has some childish behaviours. At the time when his mother dies, he even throws a tantrum. He curls up against the wall and when Sarah is trying to offer her condolences, he asks her to go away. However, when Sarah asks if he wants to hear a story (he is always interested in hearing stories), he shows his interest and she tells him a bit about the Wizard of Oz. After that, he wants Sarah to sing a song to him; and Sarah sings him the song ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. He likes the rainbow song as he thinks that it is all about the dreaming. There is also once when Sarah and Drover are sharing a kiss, they are interrupted by Nullah and he asks them if they are going to do wrong-sided business.

Nullah is also friendly and kind. He is friendly to everyone, including Lady Sarah, whom he is just got to know. He tells Sarah that she is like rainbow serpent for them and he wants to sing her to him. He tells Lady Sarah the truth that the administrator Neil Fletcher is stealing her cattle; has killed her husband; and is working for the cattle baron King Carney so that she can take immediate action on the shifty Fletcher. Nullah also develops a good friendship with Flynn during a night when Flynn plays him Somewhere Over the Rainbow on his harmonica.

In this movie, we will also find that the life of Nullah is quite pitiful. At the time the movie is set, 1939, the Australian government would forcibly remove half-Aboriginal children from their mothers, in a misguided attempt to assimilate them into white culture. This is what so-called the Stolen Generations, which the whites attempt to take away these children and place them in missions to phase out the culture. Hence, every time Nullah sees a car coming down Faraway, he has to hide in the water tower, afraid that someone is going to come take him away. There is once when his mother, Daisy follows him to hide from the police in the water tank, and unfortunately, she drowns in the water tank. From then on, Nullah loses his beloved mother and he can no longer say his mother’s name. Besides, there is also a scene where during the ball, Nullah has to be smudged with ash in order to watch the show of the Wizard of Oz (which Nullah loves), as creamy people are not allowed to attend the show. Just because of this half-aboriginal status, Nullah has to live a miserable life.

In addition, it is undeniable that Nullah is a brave and bold boy. In order to make Lady Sarah believes that Fletcher is a bad guy, he runs up the windmill (which Fletcher claims that it has not run in years) and makes the windmill runs, and yells that Fletcher is a liar. Besides, when Drover finds that they have not enough men to drive the cattle to Darwin, Nullah volunteers himself saying that he is plenty old enough to take the task. On the journey to Darwin, when their cattle are being harmed by Fletcher and his men; and when the cattle are all scattered around, Nullah manages to resort to a song and magic to stop the cattle (with King George chanting from the canyon) when the cattle are rushing towards him where at the moment he is at the edge of the cliff.

Nullah is also a tough boy. Though his life is full of frustrations, and he even loses two of his closers (his mother Daisy and Kipling Flynn) within just two days, he is tough enough to face the truth. Although initially he is a bit heartbroken when his mother dies, but later on when he listens to Sarah, he feels better and tells her that they must drive all the cattle to Darwin and onto the metal ship. When Nullah is caught and going to be sent to the so-called Mission Island, he waves goodbye to Sarah (who tries to get him free but failed), saying that he will wait for her to get him back, and he will sing her to him.

In a nutshell, Nullah is a character whom I impress the most. Besides serving as a narrator in this movie, his character also conveys us a lot of messages. Even though he is just a child, he does have mature thinking. He is such brave, tough, and lovely that if without him, the story may not come alive or as interesting as it is.

Favourite Quote:
“Just because it is, it doesn’t mean it should be.” by Lady Sarah Ashley

Movie Review for Coach Carter

Summary
'Coach Carter' is based on a true story of Coach Ken Carter, a controversial high school basketball coach played by Samuel L. Jackson. In 1999, Ken Carter, a successful sporting goods store owner, accepts the job of basketball coach for his old high school in a poor area of Richmond, CA, where he was a champion athlete. As much dismayed by the poor attitudes of his players as well as their dismal play performance, Carter sets about to change both. He immediately imposes a strict regime typified in written contracts that include stipulations for respectful behavior, a dress code and good grades as requisites to being allowed to participate. The initial resistance from the boys is soon dispelled as the team under Carter's tutelage becomes an undefeated competitor in the games. However, when the overconfident team's behavior begins to stray and Carter learns that too many players are doing poorly in class, he takes immediate action. To the outrage of the team, the school and the community, Carter cancels all team activities and locks the court until the team shows acceptable academic improvement. In the ensuing debate, Carter fights to keep his methods, determined to show the boys that they need to rely on more than sports for their futures and eventually finds he has affected them more profoundly than he ever expected.

Main Character—Coach Carter
Ken Carter is once a star player on the Richmond High School basketball team in Richmond, CA, and years later, after establishing himself in publishing and marketing, he is invited to return to the school and to the team as the new basketball coach. Initially, Carter feels reluctant to accept the job when seeing the poor performance and discipline of the team. However, after being persuaded, he accepted the job finally. He knows that in order to guarantee these boys a better future so that they won’t end up in prison or death, he should emphasise more on education than basketball alone. He wants to turn the team from inner city losers into student athletes. So he sets his own rules for the players by signing contracts with them. In the contracts, he wants the players to maintain a grade of 2.3, attend all classes, wear coat and tie on game days and sit in the front row of every class. Although these requirements seem quite impossible and are protested by parents and even the principal, Carter insists. This can be seen when Carter starts the lockout of the gym and continues to cancel the practices and games despite the objections from the whole community. Many will think that Carter is stubborn in the first place, but rather to say that he is stubborn, we should, however, look from other perspective the decisions he has made, which are actually for the bright future of the boys. Besides that, Carter is strict during the basketball training sessions. He imposes strict punishments like push-ups and running suicides when finding the players breaking the rules or acting rudely towards each other. He wants the boys to be respectful and disciplined, and meanwhile, can play as a team. For instance, he wants them to call each other using ‘sir’ since the first day he is introduced to them. In short, Carter is such great that he makes every decision just for the sake of the players. He believes that the players can achieve goals beyond college ball or the NBA despite others don’t think so. He tries every way to make them to excel not only in the court but also in the classroom in order for them to get into college. He never gives up though facing the pressure and all the criticism from the parents and the whole society. Under Carter's insistence, the team finally realises the goals they are supposed to achieve in their future. Carter’s hard work pays off when some of the team players manage to get into colleges eventually.

Social Issues
First, most obviously we can see that the youngsters are impolite and rude. For instance, the language they use, such as ass, nigger, dog, shit and so on. They also disrespect the elders. They show attitude towards Carter, their new basketball coach, and Cruz even tries to beat him, when Carter is first introduced to them. Premarital pregnancy is also another social issue portrayed in this movie. Kyra, girlfriend of Kenyon, one of the team players, gets pregnant during her high school. She plans to born the baby and gives up her study. While on the other hand, Kenyon is in a dilemma. He doesn’t know which road he should take for if he agrees with Kyra to born the baby, he will have to give up his study and his dream to play college basketball. So they end up with a quarrel since they can’t reach an agreement. However, Kyra aborts the baby eventually as she thinks that entering a college is more important to Kenyon. The movie also illustrates that the society is uneducated and ignorant. When Carter introduces the contract to the parents, they show great protest, as they think that grades are not as important as the basketball game. When Carter locks down the gym, canceling practices and games, the parents cause a stir and the whole society creates chaos here and there as they think that the only way their children can get out of the ghetto is by falling into the stereotype of either NBA player or rapper. Even the Principal Garisson disagrees with Carter and has the same thought as the society. Just because of this wide ignorance and the misconceptions of the society, most of the teenagers in that area end up in prison or even death. For examples, Lyle’s father is in jail whereas Junior Battle’s brother is killed. There are also those who get involved in drug-dealing activity, that is Timo Cruz. Drug-dealing seems to be a source of income for him. He stops this only after his cousin, Renny is killed and this is when he realizes how he will end up his life if he keeps doing this.

Meaningful Quotes and Messages
Timo Cruz: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Jason Lyle: You said we're a team. One person struggles, we all struggle. One person triumphs, we all triumph.
~Teamwork is necessary for success.

Coach Ken Carter: When we step on the floor every second that clock is ticking, we are pedal to the metal, we run the ball, we pressure the ball, and most importantly we control the tempo of the game, we make them play Richmond Oiler ball.
~Time is precious, don’t simply waste your time; and be confident.

Coach Ken Carter: Young man, think about the choice you’re making if you walk out that door.
~Think twice before you make any decisions.

Principal Garrison: Your intentions are good, Mr. Carter. But your methods are a bit extreme.
Coach Ken Carter: You painted an extreme picture. No one expects them to graduate. No one expects them to go to college.
Principal Garrison: So you take away basketball, the one area of their lives where they have some success?
Coach Ken Carter: Yes, ma’am.
Principal Garrison: And you challenge them academically?
Coach Ken Carter: Yes, ma’am.
Principal Garrison: And what if they fail?
Coach Ken Carter: Then we’ve failed.
Principal Garrison: Unfortunately, Mr. Carter, both you and I know that for some of these kids, this basketball season will be the highlight of their lives.
Coach Ken Carter: Well, I think that’s the problem, don’t you?

Coach Ken Carter: [to the people in attendance at the board hearing] You really need to consider the message you're sending this boys by ending the lockout. It's the same message that we as a culture send to our professional athletes; and that is that they are above the law. If these boys cannot honor the simple rules of a basketball contract, how long do you think it will be before they're out there breaking the law? I played ball here at Richmond High 30 years ago. It was the same thing then; some of my teammates went to prison, some of them even ended up dead. If you vote to end the lockout, you won't have to terminate me; I'll quit.

Coach Ken Carter: Now I want you to go home and look at your lives tonight, and look at your parents’ lives, and ask yourselves:” Do I want better?”
~Always self-evaluate and remind yourselves about the things you’re doing and do think about your beloved family.

Coach Ken Carter: l came to coach basketball players, and you became students. Coach Ken Carter: l came to teach boys, and you became men.

Coach Ken Carter: You men played like champions. You never gave up. And champions hold their heads high. What you achieved goes way beyond the win-lose column or what’s gonna be written on the front page of the sport section tomorrow. You’ve achieved something that some people spend their whole lives trying to find. What you achieved is that ever-elusive victory within. And gentlemen, I am so proud of you.
~Sometimes, process is more significant than the outcome.

Enjoying moment at Giant

Yesterday, I went to Giant together with five of my friends, Siewlin, Macy, Feiwen, Mayuree and Joanne. This was my first time to Giant although I have been here for more than one month… XD We went there by INTI bus, and the bus was monopolized by us after all—because there was nobody in the bus except us. So we took the opportunity to take a few photos there.

We reached Giant after about 15 minutes and we had our lunch at KFC then. After that, we enjoyed our shopping time and I bought a pair of clothes for each of my twins nephews (make up for their first birthday present)…^^

After finished buying our stuffs, we realized that we had missed the bus.
Therefore we had to wait another hour for the next bus.
While waiting at the bus station, we took some photos (again), as we were too boring…lol

By the way, I had returned to my home this afternoon, and I was now enjoying my time with my beloved family^^
Happy holiday everyone!!

Hoping for holiday

It has been a long time I didn’t update my blog
Is it because I was busy with the assignments and also the endless homework?
I wonder…
Not realizing that I have been in INTI for a month after all
Life is getting more challenging (in other word, TOUGH…XD), yet exciting
Challenging… for the coming tests, assignments, presentations, etc…
Exciting… for having more fun with the friends here…
Next Wednesday, we are going to have our first maths test
And the days onwards, we’ll be getting more tests, assignments and so on…
Now I’m looking forward to the August holiday
And hope that I could have a very relaxing holiday then, though it’s just one week…