Moana's Awards and Nominations:
Moana was nominated for an AARP Annual awards for Grownups who refuse to grow up in 2017
John Musker, Ron Clements, and Osnat Shurer:
John Musker, Ron Clements, and Osnat Shurer were nominated for the academic awards as best animated feature in 2017.
Lin - Manuel Miranda:
Lin - Manuel Miranda was nominated for an academic award as the best singer for her best original song "How Far I'll Go" in 2017.
Jeff Draheim:
Jeff Draheim was nominated for an ACE Eddie Awards as the best-edited animated feature film in 2017.
Moana's Awards:
Moana won the American Music Awards as the top soundtrack.
Auli'i Cravalho:
Auli'i Cravalho won the Alliance of Women Film Journalists as the Best Animated Female in 2016.
Ian J. Coony, John M. Kosnik, Blair Pierpont, Erin V. Ramos, and Marlon West:
Ian J. Coony, John M. Kosnik, Blair Pierpont, Erin V. Ramos, and Marlon West won the Annie Awards as the Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production.
Auli'i Cravalho:
Auli'i Cravalho also won the Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production in 2017.
Movie Summary:
The movie begins where a group of young children is gathered to listen to the history of the Island Te Fiti. It is through her heart that she possesses the gift to make life and bring those islands that have collapsed into existence. Many people wished to possess her gift, but it is only the demigod Maui who tried enough to take it. He had a fishing hook that helped him steal the heart. The heart protected the Island, he managed to steal it, and immediately terrible darkness covered the whole highland, and the island begins to deteriorate. Before Maui could even escape on his boat, Te Ka, the demon of lava and fire, confronts him by rising from the sea like a volcano. Maui tries to fight, but unfortunately, he was struck from the sky. In the process, he loses both the hook and the heart to the ocean. Moana's grandmother finishes her the narration by telling them that, the demon of lava and fire continues to look for the heart. One day the darkness will cover the whole island. When the children heard about darkness consuming their island, some of them even faint as others scream out. However, they are comforted by Moana's father who walks in and starts talking.
Moana's Journey:
Surprisingly, a big mass of water forms and looks down at her. The water tiers Moana's hair in a topknot. Inside the ocean, she notices a shiny object moving toward her. She plucks it from water and stares at it for a moment. Unfortunately, her father calls her without knowing what the glowing stone was; she ends up dropping it back into the water. She is promised by her father that in the future, the village needs her as their chief.
Moana is taught many things about the village as she grows up. Despite being the future chief of the area, she still thinks that she was meant to be something else. Her Grandmother encourages her to follow what her heart tells her. The chief takes her to the peak of the island where their forefathers used to place stones, and he tells her that in the future she will put her stone. She grows training as chief despite her inner feeling to go to the sea. She does various activities like teaching children hula dance, fixing a leaking roof and she provided support to a man getting a tattoo. An elder suggested that the rooster that was attempting to swallow the rock to be slaughtered she refuses. Then the fishermen came complaining that despite their change in the fishing ground they caught nothing. Moana suggests fishing past the reef, but her father is angry.
Moana's Decision:
Sina explains to her why her father was not happy. She tells Moana that her father had gone with a friend who never came back because they were wrecked by the storm. Therefore, her father does not want to lose her. She encourages Moana that she needs to make choices no matter how difficult situations are. Being in a dilemma on whether to take the duties of her village or to follow her dream she decides to go beyond the reef to see whether there are fish. She was sailing smoothly than she expected but she is knocked by an intense wave. She gets deep into the sea, and her foot got stuck in the coral. She frees herself by crashing the coral with a stone. She finds Pua at the shore nervous and immediately her grandmother shows up.
Moana's Journey Continues:
Moana goes through a lot of challenges as her father prevents her from achieving her dream. Later she is told by her grandmother who is almost dead on the floor that she has to go and find Maui who will help her save the island. She is given a necklace to help her store the glowing stone and gives her the direction on where she will find Maui. As she travels through the sea being guided by the spirit of her grandmother, she still faces a lot of resistance from the waves. She tries to sail properly following the hook, but she finds it difficult where she finally seeks guidance from the sea. She wakes up at the shore of the sea irritated asking the sea for such kind of help. Only to look at the rocks and notices the hook that she was looking for.
Moana and Maui's Encounter:
After some time, Maui shows himself as the little girl introduces herself to him. With the song, Moana got trapped inside the rocks as he plans to escape with her canoe. She manages to escape through an opening on top of her. With the help of the sea, she manages to catch Maui. She is never accepted by Maui who keeps on throwing her, but the ocean returns her to the boat. Despite all the rejections, Maui finally accepts although with fears. While going to find the hook, they are attacked by the pirates who escape with Heihei together with the heart. Without the help of Maui, she manages to save Heihei. They narrowly escape death as the pirates' boats collide with each other. Maui uses Moana as bait, and he manages to retrieve his hook back. He then teaches her how to sail even although having rejected at first. Moana finds it difficult to fulfill her dream when Maui left her alone because his hook was almost broken after having a hard time with the Monster. She cries out and asks the sea to select another person as she gives the glowing stone to the sea. Moana stands watching as it sinks deep. Immediately her grandmother joins her, comforting her that if she wants to go home, she will be there with her. She is taken through a vision of her ancestors, and she decides to go after the heart. She managed to retrieve the heart, and on coming back, she found out that everyone had gone, including her grandmother.
Moana's Final Battle:
Moana decides to return the heart herself, but there is a great barrier at the Island. She tricks Te Ka, and she escapes, but Te Ka sends a giant wave that knocks her away. It is there that Maui comes to help her. He helps her to reach Te Fiti. The entire Island had gone, but only a symbol of Te Ka's chest could be seen. She raises the glowing stone and draws Te Ka's attention before he would send a blow to Maui. She reveals to her that she is not supposed to be that way. Te Ka's fire stops as Moana places the heart within the spiral. In her hands, Maui apologizes, and he is given a new hook as Moana is given a canoe.
Moana's Return:
Finally, after all the challenges, Moana asks Maui to come with her, but he refuses. Moana navigates to her village. She is given a pink seashell by the ocean, and she puts on the sacred mountains as he helps her people to begin voyaging. The spirit of her grandmother guides her as they sail with Maui besides her (Shurer, 2016).
Work cited
Shurer, Osnat.Moana Animated Film. Polynesia, 2016. Film.
