ROTTEN TOMATOES: 16-Year-Old "Whale Rider" Star To Be A Mommy Comments

16-Year-Old "Whale Rider" Star To Be A Mommy

by Jen Yamato | October 06, 2006

Summary

Young Oscar-nominated actress Keisha Castle-Hughes, who starred in the lauded New Zealand drama "Whale Rider" at the tender age of 12, has announced that she's pregnant. "Whale Rider" came out in 2002, so if you do the math...the young mom-to-be is sixteen years old. But a very mature sixteen, they say. Back to Article

(1-51 of 51 posts) | Reply

NMB writes:
on Oct 06 2006 12:20 PM

this is.... gross?

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Reeven writes:
on Oct 06 2006 12:36 PM

Oops.

(Reply to this)

Sadistik writes:
on Oct 06 2006 12:40 PM

she should get an abortion just to fuck with the intended audience of "The NAtivity Story"

(Reply to this)

Mikeal420 writes:
on Oct 06 2006 12:59 PM

In reply to this comment (#845885)
The Christians Conservatives should all love it, they want to get back to traditional values so this girl should already be married with 3 or 4 children by now, staying in the kitchen to make sure her husband has a hot meal to come home to

(Reply to this)

puablo writes:
on Oct 06 2006 01:22 PM

In reply to this comment (#845886)
WOW. You are my hero. I was waiting for someone to make a crack relating this news with the Nativity movie.

(Reply to this)

dudemovies writes:
on Oct 06 2006 03:21 PM

I guess she rode too much whale

(Reply to this)

Filmshark writes:
on Oct 06 2006 05:24 PM

Isn't that illegal? I mean if he's 19 and she's 16... :-(

(Reply to this)

Mudhole writes:
on Oct 06 2006 05:31 PM

In reply to this comment (#845888)
YES --

You just became the single greatest poster in the history of RT. NICE.

(Reply to this)

spiteface writes:
on Oct 06 2006 06:00 PM

The legal age for sex in New Zealand is 16, so no, its not illegal.

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aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 06 2006 07:43 PM

Wow i cant believe how many of you nerds are complete bigots, maybe you guys should of been aborted and the rest of us would never have to hear from you retards.

(Reply to this)

Ophiuchus writes:
on Oct 06 2006 07:56 PM

In reply to this comment (#845888)
I guess she didn't realise it was a sperm whale.
*rimshot*

(Reply to this)

wilkiedriver writes:
on Oct 06 2006 08:41 PM

In reply to this comment (#845886)
You sound bitter...

(Reply to this)

VML writes:
on Oct 06 2006 09:48 PM

In reply to this comment (#845891)
you said it

(Reply to this)

inessalenin writes:
on Oct 07 2006 01:34 AM

Too young to be a mother!

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ninjaandy writes:
on Oct 07 2006 08:55 AM

I love how this immediately turned into a Christian bash just because the chick's in a Jesus movie.

You guys do realize you are acting far worse than the Christians you demonize, I hope. Since you seem to think it's such a great idea to insult people and tell them how their ideas are all assinine and you are superior, I wonder what it is about Christians that you dislike so much, other than the mere idea that they dare to hold a different viewpoint from yours.

And what the hell's this crap you're supporting about obeying social conventions? I mean sure, 16 is young for motherhood, but are you actually saying there's something wrong with people who don't go to grad school or who marry before they're 30? You must hate just about everybody for some reason, huh?

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jab1981 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 10:43 AM

"I wonder what it is about Christians that you dislike so much, other than the mere idea that they dare to hold a different viewpoint from yours."

I know I enjoy my fair share of Christian bashing simply because the shoe is almost always on the other foot. I cannot even begin to tell you the number of times I've been told I was going to hell for the music I listen to, the books I've read, the movies I've watched, my political views... hell I've even been told that some of the restaurants I eat at are "against God". And I'm not even talking about serious issues, for example I've been told on a number of occasions that I'm hellbound for reading things like Harry Potter or watching a Star Wars film. For studying science, logic and reality as opposed to the bible, fantasy and fairy tales, I received quite an earful from a number of concerned Christians. I even had a family friend who died over in Iraq and his funeral was basically ruined by a group of Christians who decided to yell derogatory comments to those attending because our country doesn't openly hate gay people.

Glad to be able to clear this up for you. Honestly it's not terribly confusing. It's a case of "what goes around comes around". Christians have constantly been trying to force their views upon others. It struck me a bit funny as you suggest the users here are overly critical to those of a different viewpoint when that's the standard behavior that most Christians adopt. They've been trying to push their beliefs into our laws and our schools. I can think of no other group of people who tend to belittle the beliefs of others or who judge others more harshly.

And I know that not all Christians behave so disgustingly, but there are enough to keep these bad feelings going. There have been too many people coming in my life to try to tell me that I'm not allowed to do the things I want to do because it's against what they personally believe in. That's what makes people like me poke sport at Christians on a message board. It gives people like me a chance to show them what it's like to be harassed simply for having a different view on the world.

And before you mention how childish it is, I didn't take part in this Christian bashing and I don't usually because it a is a bit petty. But it's very easy to understand where it comes from and one shouldn't be surprised that it happens. They've had it coming. Try not to take it so hard.

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Marv Vega writes:
on Oct 07 2006 01:28 PM

In reply to this comment (#845885)
Great comment!! Although if she really wanted to screw with them she'd swear on the bible that she's never had sex.

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aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 01:35 PM

In reply to this comment (#845899)
Wow, hypocrite. It is people like you, the nonchristians that belittle and push you beliefs on people more then the fundies. You are bad guy not the christians you just hate to think what you do is wrong so you hypocritically blame the christians, go away bigot, to bad your mom did not abort you.

(Reply to this)

highdough writes:
on Oct 07 2006 01:55 PM

In reply to this comment (#845901)
This is either a joke or proof that his post was right on. Either way, it's funny.

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Mikeal420 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 02:39 PM

I wrote a comment earlier saying Christian Conservatives want these traditional values-- I made a mistake since these "values" are a symptom of most cultures world wide.

And yes I do believe there is something wrong with women giving up on their careers and future(something we don't know wether or not this girl has done, btw). The whole institution of the young, stay-at-home moms is one created by men for the purpose of keeping men dominate in society. You can argue all you want about how this may be necessary, but that is what it boils down to. It frightens me that this has once again become an accepted practice in Western Society (I guess Feminism be damned)

And yes, I know she comes from a religous culture, which may explain the acceptance of being pregnet so young, but how does that condone it. I'm Jewish, the religion that practically defined(and justified) the inferior role women are molded into in Western culture, does that mean it should be excused out of "Cultural sensitivity"??(don't even get me started on how women are treated in the East)

We are at an impass in out society, in which women have the ability and desire to particapate in shaping our world. Although a RottenTomatoes forum is not the best place to figure this out, we must find a balance between the need to further our population, and a way to further a woman's role shaping our society, rather than just have her acting as a servant to her family. I wish there were more women posting on this site so I could hear their opinions(for too long, men have set the fate of women).

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BrokenDreamer writes:
on Oct 07 2006 02:51 PM

In reply to this comment (#845899)
[b]True Christians[/b]
I have been reading and hearing these different accounts of how completely insensitive and intolerant christians are from many different sources, and I decided that I have had enough and won't be silent any longer. I will first acknowledge, and this might surprise you, that even as a Christian myself, I am disgusted by the kind of actions you described in your post and in other examples. This is not true Christianity, as you seem convinced it is, and it actually gives Christianity the wrong reputation. Consider the Islamic religion. Not every Muslim is a terrorist set on destroying America; the extremist misrepresent the religion. Same goes for Christian extremists.

What you are describing is not pure Christianity. You are describing religious groups and other fundamentalists who twist the Bible for their own purposes. This is why I am just as offended by these examples as you are. As a Christian, it pains me to hear stories of people who have hurt you and others with their extreme intolerance and hatred, but this is not what the Bible preaches. In fact, to know what real Christianity should be like, just read the story of Jesus Christ, sinces Christians are supposed to be reflections of Christ.

First off, Christians are not supposed to be a hateful people. Jesus Christ would grieve for those who were abused in his name, and would not approve of the actions of these fundamentalists. Consider the story's of the Pharisees, who were in constant conflict with Jesus and best represent the fundamentalists you despise (in other words, a fundamentalist, being like the Pharisees, would be someone Jesus, and therefore true Christians, opposes). In one example, the Pharisees caught Jesus "dining with sinners," and Jesus replied by telling them that he came to help the sick. (Matthew 9:11) In his response, he states that he "desires mercy and not sacrifice" (Matthew 9:13). Look up the word mercy and you will find that it is associated with compassion, which is a word that could be used to describe Christ.

This might not be enough evidence, but it would go on long. (I dare you to read the gospel and hopefully you will have a better understanding of who Christ is and what love he has for his children.) But in regards to the idea of violent protests against sin, Jesus walked among the sinners and spoke with kindness. This is how Christians are supposed to act. In fact, the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39), and the Bible preaches love over anything else (1 Corinthians 13, these are the instructions Christians should follow). In fact, Jesus even says in a parable that what you do unto others is done to him (Matthew 25).

Anyways, I am trully sorry for the way Christians treated you, but I thought I should defend Christianity. Real Christians love their neighbors, respond in compassion, not hatred. Real Christians follow the example of Christ (who gave his life for those he loves, instead of killing others). To really know what Christianity is, read the story of Christ. You might be surprised.

By the way, this does not mean that Christians are meant to be accepting of everything either. On the contrary, God wants us to love the sinner, not the sin. And also, remember that Christians are human and make mistakes, but their mistakes are not what Christianity is meant to be. As for this 16 year old girl, my response, as a Christian, wasn't "she is going to hell," but rather, out of sadness, "She is another example of someone who has to care for a child at a young age." All true Christians really want is that others can experience the love they feel from Christ, but everyone has a choice. I don't want to force you to do anything, and neither does God. Hopefully you realize this after reading this.

(Reply to this)

Mikeal420 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 03:04 PM

In reply to this comment (#845904)
I actually read your whole essay, wow. I agree with what your saying about Christianity, but it sounds more like your trying to convert others than you are trying to defend your culture.

(Reply to this)

aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 03:26 PM

In reply to this comment (#845903)
The problem with your post is that you think that she had no choice in the matter. I hate to tell you but REAL feminism condones womens choices to do whatever they want, if they want to be barefoot and pregnant serving their husband they have every right to do so. And dont get me started on this whole "male dominated society being wrong", i hate to tell you but a woman run society would be just as bead if not worst. Also on a sidenote true feminism is about everyone being equal, not what feminist are doing today and trying to get special treatment for women. So stop being what you are are condemning and except here choices. Do not be like a majority of these bigot nerds who have no idea what the world is like and know nothing about religion or science.

(Reply to this)

aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 03:27 PM

In reply to this comment (#845902)
Actually little bigot, if you read his post he sounded exactly like the people he hates, he wants his beliefs pushed on others and he belittles the fundies beliefs so he is just a walking talking hypocrite.

(Reply to this)

Mikeal420 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 03:32 PM

In reply to this comment (#845906)
How in the hell did you think I meant I would like to see a society run by women? I was talking about equal opportunity. point out how you infered that I would like to see women in domiinate control... Also, you sound like an asshole for what you say about others on this site. (I know it's "hypocritical" for me to call you asshole, but the shoe seems to fit- also you use the word hypocite so much you sound repetitive-- next you will be on you Sallinger fix and keep calling us "Phonies")

And as to her having a choice in the matter-- how much of a choice do you think anyone has in the way there lives are run-- do you think if she grew up in a different enviroment her choices would be the same.

And as for you thinking I claim to be an expert on science and religion, that's the last thing I would claim-- what I called for was an open discussion because the truth is I am no expert and neither are you

(Reply to this)

aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 03:46 PM

In reply to this comment (#845908)
Oh i just cut ahead of you before you could say something like that. I know you did not say that but most of the time when people say what you said they think that a matriachy would be great. I use the term so much because so many people here are hypocrites. People have a large degree of choice. She choose to have sex, she choose to have the baby, and she will choose to take care of it. People who complain about not having any choice are just lazy. That last line was not directed to you, i was just saying that you should not sound like the bigots that are on this board.

(Reply to this)

Mikeal420 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 04:03 PM

In reply to this comment (#845909)
you finally made one point I could agree with-- it CAN be seen as lazy to just give up and say we have no choices in life.

We do have the power to overcome the way we were raised and make different choices, but on a mass scale this is not the way it works. I know it's off the subject, but do you really beleive that the kids who grew up dealing on my corner are going to make choices as you are when faced with the same situation? or a child who grows up in a religious culture as opposed to a secular one? most of the time people follow their infuences of how they were raised--it's not G-d's destiny or fate-- it's just the way the world seems to work.

No, if you'll excuse me, it's Saturday night and my enviroment has deemed this is the night for me to go out and have fun-- and I think I will go along with those cultural influences and go out tonight (free will BE DAMNED)

(Reply to this)

aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 04:38 PM

In reply to this comment (#845910)
They can make the same decisions, they are just too lazy to do it. Yes it saturday, time to get drunk, i am unlucky enough to be DD tonight. But have a goodnight.

(Reply to this)

Trish_H writes:
on Oct 07 2006 05:46 PM

To the mother to be congrats. it is not as easy as you think it is. I had my first child when I was sixteen years old. Contrary to some peoples beliefs I graduated high school and now I am attend college with a GPA of 3.7 I wish all of you would think of others feelings instead of going off on religion. Think of how scared or happy this person is and how your comments might be making her feel. Once you are a parent your whole life changes and the change might be better or worse. This change is up to her and how she wants to percieve her life and family.

(Reply to this)

Mikeal420 writes:
on Oct 07 2006 06:05 PM

In reply to this comment (#845912)
I cant believe I came back on this site once more tonight, I promised I would end this discussion and go out, but I still have a couple hour to kill until I leave

I congragulate you, you've done the most wonderful thing a human can do- you've created life and nurtured it and worked hard for yourself too-- that is something men don't have to face and cant understand(men can leave, women usually don't have that choice). What I was refering to in my past comments was something else, I hope you understood that. BTW we did get completly off the subject of the article, but that is what usually happens on this forum--

as I stated before, we don't have any idea how this girl will handle this situation--- I just hope she chooses whats best for her baby and herself--

(Reply to this)

Marv Vega writes:
on Oct 07 2006 06:49 PM

In reply to this comment (#845912)
I doubt anyone thinks being 16 and pregnant is easy. With the exception of a couple of posts, I think that most of the comments in this forum were just simple harmless pokes at an obviously (to most of us anyway) ironic situation (an underage, unmarried, and pregnant actress in the role of the Virgin Mary). There's a couple of posts probably from some compound in Montana that've been hypersensitive, defensive and insulting to anyone who doesn't share that particular viewpoint but otherwise it's mostly just good, harmless, sophmoric fun. Best of luck to you in college, and to Keisha Castle-Hughes as well.

(Reply to this)

Mudhole writes:
on Oct 07 2006 08:01 PM

Guys, guys, guys...Didn't you hear that the Jews are responsible for all of the modern wars?

(Reply to this)

Teewana writes:
on Oct 07 2006 08:53 PM

[b]Too Much Fun[/b]
The evolution of this post has been delicious. Though I highly doubt that Keisha will be encouraged or discouraged by posts on Rotten Tomatoes (because odds are... she doesn't read them,) I think that she's a lot more set than most people much older than her. A boyfriend of three years and a well established career, and more than likely she's pretty financially set. Put in the wide scheme of things... that ain't too bad. There will be an undeniable snit in the certain factions of the Christian community, but maybe this is a good reminder that even religious movies are still just movies, and the characters protrayed in them, are just actors. It's all a matter of taking ourselves and beliefs a little less seriously... we Irish just get drunk, really freakin drunk.

(Reply to this)

Marv Vega writes:
on Oct 07 2006 09:52 PM

In reply to this comment (#845916)
I'll drink to that, in fact I just did-great post.

(Reply to this)

FEENXFIRE writes:
on Oct 07 2006 11:39 PM

Don't persecute the Christians; it makes them stronger. Ignore them.

(Reply to this)

highdough writes:
on Oct 08 2006 12:20 AM

In reply to this comment (#845907)
You're funny.

(Reply to this)

kiwi_chick writes:
on Oct 08 2006 12:56 AM

In reply to this comment (#845890)
no the age of consent in NZ is 16 so its not illegal

(Reply to this)

aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 08 2006 03:18 AM

In reply to this comment (#845919)
and your a bigot, so what?

(Reply to this)

SpongeBob66x writes:
on Oct 08 2006 06:17 AM

hurls

(Reply to this)

ninjaandy writes:
on Oct 08 2006 07:13 AM

Wow. I'm proud of RT today. What great, mostly mature posts in response to my (and others') comments!

A couple of quick things:

1) Sorry if my post seemed to be a return bash, as that would be beyond hypocricy.

2) Broken Dreamer is 100% on everything, as far as I'm concerned. But to the poster who said I should not be surprised when Christians are bashed, and just not take it so hard, I hope you realize how much of a cop-out that is for negative behavior. Being an asshole to an individual because you perceive that they are an asshole, merely for belonging to a certain group, is not a wise idea in any religion or value system I can think of. I will continue to take Christian bashing seriously, as should the people who are bashed BY Christians.

3) As Broken Dreamer said, Christians should be forgiving, merciful, and honest about their own sins. That doesn't mean one is to accept everything as "OK" and let it go.

4) Regarding feminism: I hate to throw out the "A" word in a serious context here, but the vast majority of the tensions between the two "sides" of American society are over abortion. Many Christians and others believe it's murder, and no matter how stupid you might think that is, if someone believes something is murder, it's a big deal to them. Modern feminism would find a lot more willing support if they didn't irrevocably tie their movement to NARAL and NOW. That's not an excuse for Christians to avoid supporting the just causes modern feminism espouses, just a reason why many people who would otherwise sign on whole-heartedly, can't.

In fact, modern feminism should look back at its origins and take a page from people like Wolstoncraft or Susan B. Anthony. They were specifically against abortion, and their contributions to womens' lives go way beyond the likes of Margaret Sanger's, whose main additions to feminism were abortion and eugenics (which her followers wisely dropped from their repetoire). It is a political fiction to imagine abortion makes women more free somehow.

Well, now that I've invited a shitstorm of controversial comments, I'll just bug out. Have fun!

(Reply to this)

BuckRogers writes:
on Oct 08 2006 10:55 AM

As women have genetically smaller feet than men, her role of washing dishes will kick in naturally at a very early age....very sad.

(Reply to this)

trd2345 writes:
on Oct 08 2006 01:02 PM

Alright, there was a comment posted earlier that said something similar to "Christian fundamentalists twist the religion to fit their needs." That's the EXACT opposite of what they're doing.

Look, the Bible says that Christians are supposed to stone people to death of other religions. Not doing that would be twisting it. Letting it slide IS twisting it.

I mean c'mon guys. Whether the Bible was actually true or not is beside the point. It was written before science could cure diseases, you can't use a book that old to judge our current culture by.

Ridiculous.

(Reply to this)

aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 08 2006 07:10 PM

In reply to this comment (#845925)
Yes you can, when talking about morals. You cant assume that now becuase we have the safe practice of abortion that it is automatically right and okay. That is ridiculous, and you are just a bigot.

(Reply to this)

Jbourne37 writes:
on Oct 08 2006 10:03 PM

At least it isn't some 16 year old with no money to support a child and no ambition in life. Even if she isn't emotionally mature enough to raise a kid, she can still make sure it leads a good life.

(Reply to this)

Aeneas&theBloodyOracle writes:
on Oct 08 2006 11:30 PM

In reply to this comment (#845926)
[b]As sincere an apology as I can muster[/b]
Everyone-- I'm officially sorry for jumping in this post earlier with a rude, bigoted comment about christian slugs and a phony creation myth.
My flame-out hostility was just immature and retarded, and the product of feeling existential (you know, the idea about God being silent).
I bristled on this story as I felt genuinely hostile to christians. I equated christianity with underage pregnancy.
I can't very well complain about the sad state of affairs as I am one of it's causes, but that is my unforunate role in the scheme of things. Mea culpa; at least I own my Shadow (and accept that I spit venom disguised as comedy). In the future, I'll keep it on a personal blog.
I apologize for the hate-speech but I DON'T retract the humor (which is best served messy, and why I'm here).
God bless Roger Ebert, and my Blackened Karma.

(Reply to this)

aknddon3 writes:
on Oct 09 2006 12:28 AM

In reply to this comment (#845928)
Good post, i like your last line.

(Reply to this)

homerschum writes:
on Oct 09 2006 02:53 PM

On the DVD cover of Wale Rider is says "There's Magic in it"

Well... I would say.

(Reply to this)

Kid_Ikarus writes:
on Oct 11 2006 02:09 PM

I'd do her.

(Reply to this)

dust'n the callipygous writes:
on Oct 12 2006 12:38 AM

just say it's immaculate conception

(Reply to this)

timov writes:
on Oct 12 2006 08:04 AM

In reply to this comment (#845899)
well, i hate to tell you this, but other people are going to force their views on you till the day you die - not just christians. whether it's quizno's telling you that you should eat their subs because they have more me than subway, or some muslim saying you must either convert to islam or die by the sword. people are going to tell you who to vote for, which movies to watch or which car to buy. and somehwere in there you're going to come across a christian who is totally cool to you and tells you that what you do or watch or listen to is fine, as long as it doesnt harm your relationship with God. and you're also going to come across the occasional nutjob. those idiots who demonstrate at military funerals fall into that category. they're a disgrace to america and to the christian community. they are not being christ-like and are therefore in the wrong when it comes to true christianity. as a christian and an american, they disgust me.

as far as your criticism that christians try to "push their beliefs into our laws and schools." well, maybe you should reread a history book and study our forefathers a bit more before making such claims. we, as christians, are not trying to push beliefs IN, we're trying to keep them from being pushed OUT. our country, our laws, were all based on christian ideals. they were there to start with. it's why we came to america to begin with. it's non-christians who are trying to get our ideals out. its the special interest groups who are afraid of people with morals, because we are a threat to their societal acceptance.

what you really need to do is open your eyes and see the real threat is islam. the muslims are slowly creeping into our society and i promise you, they have no good intentions for non-muslims. if someone tells you, well, thats only the radicals. the truth is, islam is a radical religion. when i said they want you to convert or die, i wasn't joking. their scripture, their prophet tells them that. true christianity is about love and forgiveness and free will. so chill out on the christian bashing. our only real intent should be to have a moral society. common sense tells us right from wrong. our nation is losing our common sense out of fear of offending someone, anyone.

and just to stay on topic, i think it's kind of ironic that this whale ridin chick will be playing the virgin mary. now that i know this, will i watch it? no. would i have watched it before? no. do i give a crap? not really. heck, i didnt even know she was in sith and i've seen that movie about 5 times. she's really really low on my importance radar. what's her name again? i couldn't even tell you.

(Reply to this)

timov writes:
on Oct 12 2006 08:37 AM

In reply to this comment (#845925)
could you please provide a scriptural reference to christians stoning people of other religions?

also, you can use a book as old as the Bible for our current culture. as somone else just said, morally speaking, some things never change. thou shalt not kill. i think that applies to our current culture. don't steal. yep, that does too. i guess YOU'RE ridiculous.

(Reply to this)

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