When was the last time that a movie was viewed, with no profanity, no senseless violence, no condemnation, no criticism, no complaining and no depressing scenes?
I can guarantee you, there’s not much movies of that kind. That’s where the Movie “Given” comes in. This is the story of a small family that traveled fifteen (15) countries, and that journey was narrated by a six(6) year old toddler named “Given.”
Starting in Kauai, in Hawaii, expert surfers Aamion and Daize Goodwin traveled and surfed. However, this is more the story of Given, as he narrates what he sees of life of his family, and the various cultures he encounters as they traveled and surfed. They would tour Greenland with its vastness, Iceland with its geysers, Thailand with the girls with rings around their necks, Senegal with its wrestling, and Malaysia with the family that makes rubber.
However, this story is also more of a man teaching his son about the world. In the beginning of Given The Movie, Given’s father told him a story of The Big Fish. A fish so big that it caused the waves, and its now a man’s duty to catch the big fish and claim its spirit. Given’s father would teach him to fish, in preparation of the time when he would probably catch the big fish.
Out in the boat on the open seas, Given would contemplate about the hugeness of the ocean and wonders how it would be possible to catch one big fish. Everywhere Givens’ family stopped, they surfed, caught fish and ate what they caught, and Given would think of the day when his father would catch the big fish.
Their travels would continue onto Morocco where he heard the Azan, the Islamic call to prayer, and then onto South Africa and Japan. Givens’ sister was born just before the journey started, and the story would show her first steps from birth to actual small steps in life. In Nepal, the family experienced a funeral and prayed with the Tibetan children. Given had never seen a dead person before. Given’s father described it as “Everything has an end.”
The ultimate end of the trip would end in Fiji and there Given would finally understand why his Dad wanted to make the trips traveling around the world. In Fiji as well, Given would contemplate many other questions as the movie ends and he would meets some very surprising and intriguing people.
To see if Given would even catch the Big Fish, and his surprising conclusion, then Given: The Movie, must be viewed. Its available on Netflix, and is sold on Amazon.
Given: The Movie was originally a children’s book titled “Given and the Big Fish” by Tamara Burnstock.
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