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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

To me, this movie is perfection.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Movie review: Where the Spirit LivesThe movie, "Where The Spirit Lives" is centered around a young Indian girl whose name Amalia and brother by the name of Abraham, taken from their home and forced into a Christian school to learn English. At first, the two were defiant and unwilling to participate. They were however, fortunate enough to have a fresh teacher with morals and kindness still intact. This did not change for awhile and they tried escaping, but as soon as they learned their parents had gotten sick and past away, they had nothing left, which lead to the acceptance of a new life. Thing's went well and the English language was learned, and the little girl was even going to be adapted by an upscale older woman. Until, they found out their parents were still alive and looking for them, and the church had lied to them. Finally, the time was right and the two left for home with the blessing of their teacher.It's sad to think that the United States was actually ran like this. To force young children into learning English, instead of accepting their own culture and language. Their is plenty of communication that can happen without forcing the whole tribe to convert to the "American way of life." This was a good film that centered on those who were afflicted the most, the children. It depicts the religious attitude and way of thinking through the school where they attended and the faculty that supported the movement. It also gives you a look at the harsh conditions, with the beatings and solitary confinement, the children had to endure. These force full actions did seem to work with some of the children, but there was defiantly a tipping point.I would recommend watching this movie to those who are curious about the harsh realities of our government and how they used to treat people, even indigenous people, who would not conform to the English culture. There is conflict, some drama, and a little bit of action tied into this movie throughout. It's an interesting film that dose not really have any drag. Just a well thought out and entertaining movie.

I bought the movie on VHS and made into a DVD. I feel that the film had a lot to say. I feel that the Canadian government was wrong in taking these children from their homes to a far away school and forced to give up their identity and to develop a new identity and lifestyle. It is fine to teach people such as Indians English, Mathematics, a trade, and other such things, but their culture and their identity as part of an ethnic group, racial minority, or whatever it is shouldn't be erased, forcibly or otherwise. The Canadian government could have brought the schooling to the Indians by establishing schools in the areas that the Indians lived in. This would serve the purposes of teaching the children subjects such as math, science, and English, among other things, but it would keeptheseyoung people together with their families, kept their identity, culture, and customs. In one of the reviews,it was stated that the children could tried to escape from the plane instead of staying in it. Those children were too frightened to think very much, if at all!This movie reminds me of a movie titled "Rabbit Proof Fence," in which Aborigine children in Australia were forcibly taken from their homes and were made into domestic servants. It serves as a fine parallel movie to "Where The Spirit Lives."No government or religion or anything else should keep any group from giving up its identity, life, culture, or anything else. An American Indian tribe was banned from practicing its religious ceremonies for years, but got that right back.A very fine and relevant film.

I have seen this movie many times. It never gets easier to watch. Historically the attitude towards educating the "heathens" is very close to policy (read Maureen Lux "Medicine that Walks"). As for the portrayal of the students, the abuse was pretty tame. If they actually showed what happened at the worst schools it never would have made it to production and could be classified as a snuff film. I've met people who've been in residential schools and are now in their late 70s and early 80s, one old lady never hugged her children for fear she'd be passing on sexual abuse. For the amount of awful events there were still some teachers that tried to make a positive impact on the lives of their students like we see in the film. Overall I'd recommend it for people as a starting point for research in the area. In one of the previous comments I read about "looking for a handle to get out of a plane", however if you don't know what a plane is and have never been in one that would be irrelevant. Michelle St. John is a good actress. She was also good in "conspiracy of silence" which I also recommend.

I first saw this movie in middle school.....i remember this movie so much because it impacted me to such a degree. the emotional journey the main character takes you through helps as a viewer to understand the horrors that have been inflicted upon the natives of north America. I firmly believe that this movie is not only good for private home use, this is a great educational tool as well. I think that movies like this are why film is such a valuable teaching resource and such a valuable tool for educating a broad public audience at home via television. Overall a great film and i recommend it to teachers for their classes, and parents to show their children.