Some things are too big to outrun. Some fears.. Some angers. Some hurts. You can’t drive far enough or fast enough, That is a hard enough lesson. to understand as an adult, it is even more so when you are in middle school and you have lost a parent.

I am a member of the Momentum Influencer Network,
I received an advanced screener for the purpose of this review.

Rob is a young man emotionally stunted by his father in the hotel room they call home. Both wounded by the loss of his mother, and their home, neither have found a path through the loss to each other. Instead, like his dad, Rob pushes all his sadness down. Way down into his socks.

Life on the school bus isn’t much better as he is bullied terribly. However, a very different pair of socks stomps onto the school bus bringing the kind of anger only a betrayed child can radiate. Sistine “as in the Chapel” hates everything and everyone here in this Southern town that she’s been forced to move, in fact as she stated to her whole class, she hates the South, period. Newly thrown into a divorce and choosing the wring side, she is waiting for a Daddy who is not coming and raging at the Mom who is as wounded as her daughter.

See the Odd Couple coming together? Yep. these two need each other like iced tea on a hot summer’s afternoon.

What you might not have known is these two also needed a tiger. Yes a tiger. Not, metaphorically. An actual caged tiger teaches both of these two that there are worse cages than those of. metal and running away won’t help if you don’t have somewhere safe in which to run.

So, maybe there were metaphors to be had, but I promise, there is a real tiger. And real lessons and real tears.

There’s real star power in this film, as well. Queen Latifah is a housekeeper at Rob’s motel with a lot of wisdom, but more heart. Dennis Quaid is her polar opposite — the miserly, bullying motel owner and cager of the tiger. In a smaller role, Katherine McPhee plays Rob’s mourned mom in flashbacks.

The children are the real stars, however. Watching these two figure out very grown up feelings had this grown up learning a thing or two. Hope and faith create the foundation upon which this film is built but the walls are sturdy with a fine story based on Kate DiCamillo’s book, solid direction, and great acting. It’s a family film that can be watched and appreciated by anyone.

I won’t risk any spoilers because there is, indeed, a solid climax to this film. You can watch it starting today on demand. There are resources for discussion on the website, as well as details as to where you can watch it. I highly recommend a watch. I will be watching again.

If you watch, please come back and share what you spoke to you.

The Tiger Rising - A Review

What’s Going On?

Happy (Lunar) New Year