Questions of Tone in Hunt for the Wilderpeople: The Power of Levity Anonymous 9th Grade

New Zealand-born director Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) tells the story of Ricky Baker, a young boy who is sent to the farm of a couple named Hector and Bella. Ricky is an orphan who has gone from foster home to foster home, unable to find a connection with any foster parents despite their best efforts. Tired of ferrying Ricky around, New Zealand child services say that Hector and Bella are Ricky's last hope before something more drastic happens - perhaps even jail, something that Ricky and child services want to avoid.

But Waititi's film does not reek of desperation or sadness or solemnity. It is a jovial and colorful film despite its admittedly heavy subject matter. After all, Ricky was abandoned by a mother and father who didn't want him and couldn't generally find people who wanted to adopt him. And even if he did find a family that wanted to adopt him, Ricky acted so terribly and rambunctiously that the foster families gave him back to child services - a rare move indeed.

Despite this, Waititi infuses enough wit and humor into the film so that it isn't bogged down by weighty themes. Ricky and Hector and Bella’s pain, disappointment, and cynicism don’t utterly consume the movie. Instead, they punctuate a...