Parents Television Council Reviews

PTC reviews aim to provide you with advance information about an entertainment offering so that you can be the final arbiter of what you and your family see.

The Legend of Johnny Lingo

By Beth Reynolds

Breathtaking south-pacific scenery, colorful characters and a heartwarming story combine to make a trip to the theater to see The Legend of Johnny Lingo feel more like a 91-minute vacation.

Adapted from a story written by the late Patricia McGerr in the 1960s, Johnny Lingo tells the tale of a baby found washed up on shore by Tahitian islanders. The island's chief names the boy Tama and declares that the child was sent from the gods and is destined to be chief. A unique birthmark on the child's thigh causes the chief's superstitious wife to suspect that the child has not been sent from the gods, but from the underworld. Dark rumors about the child's origin grow among villagers.  Unable to quell the murmurings of his constituents the chief is forced to cast the child out of his family. The three-year-old Tama must then go from one family to the next in a kind of island foster care. The child is little more than an indentured slave to the families that host him.

By the age of twelve Tama has found his way into the household of a drunken widowed father and his young daughter, Mahana. Her wild hair and obstinate character make Mahana the outcast of the community. Her peers tease her because they claim she is ugly and argumentative and Mahana's own father cruelly blames his daughter for the death of his beloved wife who perished while giving birth to Mahana. The audience experiences Mahana as a young, motherless girl who has had to be strong to survive while taking care of her worthless and bitter father. In spite of the bitterness that Mahana's father exhibits toward her, she looks after him dutifully and lovingly.

Tama enters this tragic household and is charged with helping Mahana with the various chores and other duties that her father forces upon her. The two youngsters become friends and Tama promises her that he will make something of himself and take care of her. He explains that in order to fulfill his promise to her, he must leave the island and seek his destiny. 

After an exchange of gifts and a tearful farewell, Mahana watches from the headlands while Tama sails off in his makeshift boat to seek his destiny. After days at sea, delirious and dehydrated, Tama is rescued by the inhabitants of an island ranch owned by the wealthy and benevolent Johnny Lingo- a famous trader. Lingo takes Tama under his wing and teaches him not only how to fish, sail and tend cattle, but also the value of following your heart, keeping promises and being honorable. This legacy is further enhanced when, approaching his own death due to old age, Lingo bestows all his worldly possessions on Tama. When visiting a neighboring island Tama discovers his true family origins—he was not sent from the gods after all, but is the only living descendant of the chief of the island. Now an adult and a wealthy chief himself, Tama feels it is time to return to the island of his childhood and fulfill his promise to Mahana.

This film has several valuable messages. The first being the importance of integrity and following through on promises. Johnny Lingo tells young Tama that the value of possessions is in helping other people- not in personal or selfish gain. Another lesson Johnny Lingo teaches Tama is that you should follow your heart and fight for your true love. Tama loves Mahana and is encouraged to find her and live up to his boyhood promise to her. Finally, a person's beauty lies within them, and not necessarily apparent on the outside. When Tama returns to Mahana's village he is a handsome and rich bachelor. All the eligible young ladies on the island seek his attention, yet, to their dismay, it is Mahana, the "ugly one," that he loves. In the end, Tama, who takes the name of his mentor, Johnny Lingo, out of respect for the elder man, gets his girl.

This film contains no foul language, no violence and no sexual content. There is one scene in which an elderly woman (who turns out to be Tama's long lost grandmother) lifts Tama's garment to reveal a birthmark on the side of the young man's upper thigh. The scene is non-sexual-- the elderly woman is revealing the birthmark to establish Tama's true identity– but the side of his buttocks is shown. Mahana's father and other characters are shown being verbally insulting to her; they call her "ugly" and "crazy." There is no physical abuse of any character.

I can recommend this film for all ages; it has an engaging storyline set in an exotic locale. The story reinforces positive ideas about the value of commitment and love and emphasizes substance of character over physical beauty. This film is visually stunning—you can almost feel that warm sun on your skin and the white sand between your toes. So if you need a little pick-me-up this summer, grab your puka shells and your kids and head down to see The Legend of Johnny Lingo.

To view the trailer for The Legend of Johnny Lingo, click here!

Family Movie Reviews

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org

Have you seen this movie? Comment on this review, Click here!