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the harpoon and tells environmental ranger Laura about it. Events lead to a search for Mee-Shee and conflicts with the saboteurs. The saboteurs capture Mee-Shee and attempt to kill him, but an even larger Mee-Shee appears, meaning that the one in the net is a baby and the larger one is an adult. Enraged, the mother attacks the saboteurs and kills them. Out of gratitude, the baby Mee-Shee retrieves the drill but they decide that they don't want it and throw it back. All of a sudden, eight more members of Mee-Shee's family appear out of the water, both old and young (showing that there's more than one).
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itself would be "a trifling confection of no particular consequence". Writer Randy
Boswell connected this debate with similar controversies over appropriation that had been going on for over a decade and also noted Aboriginals had been previously upset with a contest to catch or photograph the Ogopogo in 2001.
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is "delightful", approving of some of the special effects and comparing Mee-Shee's appearance to "a plesiosaur, a manatee, a walrus, etc.", although he adds that the CGI is "sloppy" at times. He says that the creature can fuel a person's "curiosity and interest" and the storyline works even though it
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as cultural icons that have been so celebrated and abused it's hard to view them as any particular group's property". Thus, this newspaper suggested that Barry
Authors should be pleased that with this incident, he "raised awareness of the Ogopogo's cultural importance to native people" while the film
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weighed in on the issue, criticizing the name change by saying, "Filmmakers can tell any story they want any time they want, and they don't need permission from these troublemakers... Make the movie. F*** them all". A Canadian scientist, Ed
Bousfield, even objected to Aboriginal claims to the Ogopogo
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Meanwhile, saboteurs Snead and
Watkins, agents of a rival oil company who pose as Greenpeace representatives, destroy Sean's equipment and search for the drill themselves. Their first time under the water, they see Mee-Shee and shoot him with a harpoon. When Mac finds him again in the cave he removes
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that spark their curiosity. Upon meeting Custer's daughter Pawnee, Mac goes with her to a cave where local native woman "Crazy Norma" feeds Mee-Shee. This is where they first meet the unique creature. Mac runs back to the house to tell his father, but Mrs. Coogan warns that Mee-Shee's life could be
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While the film was released in some theatres all over the world, in Canada, it was only released on DVD in July 2006. Authors wanted the film to run in theatres, but remarked that "We got caught up in an unfortunate series of events that's very upsetting". He also said the German producers were
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According to Barry
Authors, most Aboriginal-Canadian leaders were supported while using the name "Ogopogo" in the film. However, one Aboriginal complained that the legend was too holy, so Authors renamed the creature "Mee-Shee". The Aboriginal who did not want the name "Ogopogo" used was
372:. Aboriginal peoples have claimed that belief in the Ogopogo is a part of their culture, although they called it Niataka or N'ha-aitk, and the name "Ogopogo" was invented by a board of trade in 1926. The folklore has also been commercialized, inspired merchandise, and drew
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They visit the lake using a submarine, and after taking pictures of the bottom of the lake discover incredibly deep giant rivers. The legend of Mee-Shee says that the rivers lead to the ocean. Sean and Mac rent the home of Mrs. Coogan, a kindly lady whom Sean refers to as
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chief. Phillip asked that the names "Ogopogo" and "Okanagan" not be used because "It's an international concern among indigenous people about the exploitation of spiritual entities and being and whatnot for commercial purposes. This is not an isolated incident". The
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since
Goldberg is a US black woman. However, due to concerns that Lake Manitoba might experience a winter, the project was moved to New Zealand. Goldberg was unwilling to travel there and left the project. Authors' son Jeff Authors, who had worked on the
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Boswell, Randy (17 March 2002). "A monster of a debate: WHO 'OWNS' OGOPOGO?/ The fabled B.C. sea creature has surfaced into the latest storm over what native leaders call an 'invasion of our spirituality' by non-native artists".
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TV show, had suggested New
Zealand, saying "New Zealand can double for Canada. Not only is it beautiful, but it looks just like Canada in all the remote spots you want, and you'll probably find a more remote lake there".
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discussed the film and described the
Ogopogo creature/legend as a success since it was "ready for a $ 32-million movie close-up". The blurb also read, "Move over, Nessie", referring to the Loch Ness Monster. Ultimately,
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for the
Okanagan. With this commercialization, one reporter found it natural that the Ogopogo would also inspire a film, saying that "Eventually movie makers were bound to sit up and take notice, and movie makers did".
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A U.S. oil company loses a drill, intended to do work in the Arctic while flying over a
Canadian lake. Company employee Sean is contacted to go to Canada to find it; however, he has to cancel plans to take his son to
507:, natives in New Zealand who owned the land on which the filming was taking place, supported Phillip. Phillip's requests attracted some media attention and generated debate. One newspaper writer accused Phillip of "
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319:. Although his son, Mac, is disappointed, he agrees to go with his father to Canada. Once in Canada, they meet a local native named Custer who helps Sean and another employee on their mission.
428:(1996) about similar folklore in Scotland. They first made plans to film the story on Okanagan Lake, the rumoured domain of the Ogopogo, but had troubles with the scenery and relocated to
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515:". This writer suggested that Aboriginal cultures can be "respected", but others can still appropriate the cultures because "Nobody owns a culture". The well-known Canadian writer
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Boswell, Randy (9 March 2002). "Renaming Ogopogo movie 'absolute idiocy,' W.P. Kinsella charges: Outspoken author urges filmmaker not to cave in to native 'troublemakers'".
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because he felt the Ogopogo was real. (At the same time, Bousfield attacked non-believers, accusing his "ivory tower colleagues" of "the worst kind of scientific elitism".)
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in 2002. Authors remarked it was nice to work in New Zealand because "The crews were very, very keen to do anything that was required... New Zealand had just done
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also called it a "good family adventure". This newspaper explained that the creature is "well done", the story was "good" and the film "is no more violent than
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and sung by Tara Ni Bihrion. "Sunday Morning Blues" with lyrics by Barry Authors and music by Roger Spoooer features in the film itself with composed music by
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as Mac Cambell. Madger is another Canadian actor. His audition was included in the DVD, and it was done when Mee-Shee was still named "Ogopogo".
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is typical in describing a man who almost never has time for his son. Like Johnson, Allmovie critic also approved of the acting. The
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responsible for the film not playing in theatres. Later, in October 2006, the film ran in the Fantasy Worldwide Film Festival in
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Brean, Joseph (8 March 2002). "Natives in two nations spear the elusive Ogopogo: Moviemakers give in to demands".
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Authors also wanted to portray his film as a "showcase for Canadian talent and storytelling" and "a cross between
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as Snead. Tobeck plays a villain, and one critic remarked that he conveyed "some of the best pure-evil villainy".
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Andrews, Marke (15 July 2006). "New Zealand stands in for B.C. in flick based on the Ogopogo myth".
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a "good yarn" and complimented the acting and setting. However, he claimed that some of the
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NZ film stars 'fantastic' says producer, New Zealand Herald, Auckland, Thursday 4 Apr 2002
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as Crazy Norma. Owen is a MÄori actress who had previously starred in the film
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Boden, Karen (7 March 2002). "Debate of monstrous proportions just silly".
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reported in 2002 that Greenwood, a Canadian actor, had joined the cast.
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According to regional folklore, the Ogopogo is a creature that lives in
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Johnson, Brian D. (31 July 2006). "Ogopogo gets drawn Down Under".
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was initially going to play a Native Canadian, which would require
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1135:"Event centre will bring expanded opportunity to the Okanagan".
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also noted that Greenwood had previously played US President
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Dixon, Guy (27 October 2006). "TREAT YOUR GARDEN GNOMES".
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caused the film and its title monster to be renamed "
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952:"Cultural appropriation and real consequences".
1286:Native American-related controversies in film
958:. Vancouver, B.C. 9 March 2002. p. A.26.
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1124:. Penticton, B.C. 23 July 2006. p. 10.
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924:. Nanaimo, B.C. 19 March 2002. p. A.4.
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635:Jacinta Wawatai-Woodhouse as Pawnee
1077:"Mee-Shee: The Water Giant: Awards"
1024:"Mee-Shee: The Water Giant: Review"
777:The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
451:The creature itself was created by
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613:(1990). She assumed the role that
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1109:. Toronto, Ontario. p. R.17.
909:. Edmonton, Alberta. p. D.4.
418:The film version was directed by
552:When the film was to be made in
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941:. Ottawa, Ontario. p. A.3.
862:. Port Alberni, B.C. p. 4.
712:critic Brian D. Johnson called
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886:. Vancouver, B.C. p. D.3.
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405:
399:
395:
389:
385:
379:
368:, or with a
351:
337:
329:
325:Mary Poppins
321:
313:
299:
293:
288:
267:
230:
229:
224:
223:
222:
217:$ 40,000,000
185:Running time
162:Release date
26:
693:Pol Brennan
657:Philippines
599:Joel Tobeck
593:Tom Jackson
537:Santa Claus
513:free speech
455:using both
259:Tom Jackson
247:New Zealand
243:family film
137:Pol Brennan
101:Joel Tobeck
97:Tom Jackson
77:Gary Hannam
69:Produced by
49:Directed by
1206:2005 films
1200:Categories
785:References
722:cartoonish
683:Soundtrack
632:as Neilds.
630:Joe Pingue
509:xenophobia
483:water tank
469:Queenstown
444:White Fang
401:Free Willy
370:plesiosaur
348:Background
343:Production
189:90 minutes
173:2005-06-28
124:Bill Jones
59:Written by
1088:9 January
1035:9 January
990:Maclean's
822:Maclean's
769:Loch Ness
743:Lion King
710:Maclean's
705:Maclean's
703:In 2002,
699:Reception
689:Dreambard
605:Rena Owen
595:as Custer
571:Maclean's
566:Maclean's
500:Penticton
425:Loch Ness
255:Rena Owen
121:Edited by
105:Rena Owen
80:Ken Tuohy
1180:Allmovie
1176:Mee-Shee
1171:AllMovie
1082:Allmovie
1029:Allmovie
754:See also
750:movie".
733:Mee-Shee
729:Allmovie
714:Mee-Shee
645:Mee-Shee
554:Manitoba
396:Ogopogo.
386:Mee-Shee
366:Scotland
332:Mee-Shee
300:Mee-Shee
289:Mee-Shee
273:folklore
270:Canadian
245:shot in
231:Mee-Shee
206:Language
149:(Canada)
133:Music by
85:Starring
677:Toronto
640:Release
583:(2000).
481:with a
479:England
414:Filming
374:tourism
277:Ogopogo
236:British
234:) is a
209:English
199:Germany
194:Country
171: (
780:(2007)
772:(1996)
764:(1995)
748:Disney
661:Russia
649:London
541:Christ
438:makeup
240:German
214:Budget
201:Canada
663:. In
1160:IMDb
1090:2007
1037:2007
727:One
659:and
548:Cast
539:and
498:, a
407:E.T.
404:and
391:Loch
310:Plot
261:and
1189:at
1178:at
1169:at
1158:at
1062:",
467:at
457:CGI
410:".
356:in
327:".
304:DVD
1202::
1079:.
1026:.
1014:^
979:^
892:^
868:^
831:^
793:^
695:.
671:.
265:.
257:,
253:,
1092:.
1058:"
1039:.
323:"
238:-
175:)
20:)
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