This is a rather strange movie with big stars. When it is all said and done the main theme seems to be 'out of bad comes good'. And near the end the narration contains 'We are the sum of all the people we ever meet. You change the tribe, and the tribe changes you.'
The tribe reference is at two levels in this film. Anton Yelchin is Finn Earl, about to turn 16. His father is an anthropologist living with a native 'Fierce People' tribe far away, and he invites Finn to spend the summer with him there. But something happens, some petty trouble, that prevents that so he and his mom end up going to the large, 9000+ acre private property of a very wealthy man, where mom will be his personal masseuse.
The second meaning of "tribe" in this film are the assorted family and hangers-on at the country property. Young Finn has experiences there which change him forever, and he changes the tribe.
His mom is Diane Lane as Liz Earl. The very wealthy man is Donald Sutherland as Ogden C. Osborne. His grandson is Chris Evans as Bryce. And his granddaughter is Kristen Stewart as Maya. Maya and Finn are both 15 about to turn 16 (pretty close to their actual ages), and they become friends, maybe more than friends.
The movie is pretty strange and most 'normal' viewers will not like it, but I enjoyed it for the novelty and a chance to see two actors (Yelchin and Stewart) in the early stages of their careers.
SPOILERS: Bryce really is the bad guy in the 'tribe', early on he gets angry that grandpa "replaced him" by having Finn be his partner in a traditional family balloon race. Bryce retaliates by ambushing and sodomizing Finn one night. Bryce was hooded, but later via a cigarette lighter Finn realized it was him. Then even later Bryce, angry at his grandpa smothered and killed him with a pillow. Eventually all this fractured the 'tribe' and Finn and mom went back to New York, while Maya was bing sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. We feel they will stay in touch.
The tribe reference is at two levels in this film. Anton Yelchin is Finn Earl, about to turn 16. His father is an anthropologist living with a native 'Fierce People' tribe far away, and he invites Finn to spend the summer with him there. But something happens, some petty trouble, that prevents that so he and his mom end up going to the large, 9000+ acre private property of a very wealthy man, where mom will be his personal masseuse.
The second meaning of "tribe" in this film are the assorted family and hangers-on at the country property. Young Finn has experiences there which change him forever, and he changes the tribe.
His mom is Diane Lane as Liz Earl. The very wealthy man is Donald Sutherland as Ogden C. Osborne. His grandson is Chris Evans as Bryce. And his granddaughter is Kristen Stewart as Maya. Maya and Finn are both 15 about to turn 16 (pretty close to their actual ages), and they become friends, maybe more than friends.
The movie is pretty strange and most 'normal' viewers will not like it, but I enjoyed it for the novelty and a chance to see two actors (Yelchin and Stewart) in the early stages of their careers.
SPOILERS: Bryce really is the bad guy in the 'tribe', early on he gets angry that grandpa "replaced him" by having Finn be his partner in a traditional family balloon race. Bryce retaliates by ambushing and sodomizing Finn one night. Bryce was hooded, but later via a cigarette lighter Finn realized it was him. Then even later Bryce, angry at his grandpa smothered and killed him with a pillow. Eventually all this fractured the 'tribe' and Finn and mom went back to New York, while Maya was bing sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. We feel they will stay in touch.