Hope Dances

I first watched Hope Dances with my 8 year old daughter, and then again with her 13 year old sister. They both loved it. This movie was a very pleasant surprise. It is beautifully filmed, with many gorgeous shots of coastal California woven into the story.

The story is about a young girl working to fulfill her dreams, and the conflict arises as her parents pull her in different directions, tragedy strikes someone dear to her, and she faces rejection along her path.

I really appreciated how the movie avoids stereotyping the characters. There is no bullying mean girl, oafish buddy, or evil adult authority figure. When things get difficult for Hope, she learns to seek advice and comfort from a range of trusted advisers including her parents, grandmother, teachers, a mentor, and friends. She needs different kinds of help at different times and wisely seeks a broad base of support to get her through. Characters are shown taking time and making compromises to work through disagreements.

The value of hard work is strongly emphasized here. Hope does not possess magical hidden talent (a tired trope in many movies meant to inspire), but puts in the work to distinguish herself from the many other talented girls she encounters. I would highly recommend this movie for children of any age, but especially for girls from 8-14.