The Tiger Rising – ABC Film Challenge – Catch-Up 2022 – T – Tiger Rising – Movie Review
Director: Ray Giarratana
Writer: Ray Giarratana (Screenplay)
Writer: Kate DiCamillo (Book)
Cast
- Christan Convery (Playing with Fire)
- Sam Trammell (The Fault in Our Stars)
- Madalen Mills (Jingle Jangle)
- Queen Latifah (End of the Road)
- Dennis Quaid (Frequency)
Plot: A young boy discovers a caged tiger in the woods near his home.
Runtime: 1 Hour 42 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Tiger Rising starts as lonely school boy Rob (Convery) discovers a tiger caged in the local woods. Rob gets bullied at school while making friends with the new girl Sistine (Mills). He wants to show off his secret and the school tells him to stay away because of an infection in his legs.
Rob learns that his father’s boss Beauchamp (Quaid) owns the tiger. This leads him to get a plan with Sistine to release the tiger. Giving the children a chance to deal with their own problems in life. Rob faces the reality his mother has passed away and Sistine that her parents split up.
Verdict on The Tiger Rising
The Tiger Rising is a drama that sees two children facing the unpleasant reality that finding friendship by saving a tiger. It shows how the pair both have problems and have controlling adults in their lives.
This hits the coming-of-age tropes very well. Showing how Rob needs to face his own reality, one he has been hiding from. It shows that children can become silent victims if an adult can’t open up about their own feelings.
The movie does have strong performances from the two young stars Christian Convery and Madalen Mills. While Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid bring the more adult performances on either side of the spectrum.
Final Thoughts – The Tiger Rising is a beautiful coming-of-age tale, wonderfully acted by everyone involved.