Mia and the White Lion Parent Guide

Eleven-year-old Mia (Daniah DeVilliers) is unhappy. Having grown up in London, she has been homesick since her South African father, John (Langley Kirkwood), moved the whole family back home to run the lion farm he inherited. Then a miracle occurs and a one-in-a-million white lion cub is born on their farm. Everyone is excited – except for Mia. But Charlie the lion cub has a charming little furry face and they form a powerful bond.

At first, Mia’s parents are pleased that the cub has helped her feel at home in South Africa. But as Charlie grows, Mia refuses to acknowledge that he is a wild animal and can’t be a house pet forever. When Charlie is removed from the house and put in the pen with the other cubs, Mia runs away from a school field trip and hitchhikes home to be with her lion. She defies her father’s warnings about the dangers of wild animals and insists that her father doesn’t know what he’s talking about: “Rules don’t apply to us. My relationship with Charlie isn’t built on discipline. It’s built on love and trust.” When John discovers the extent of his daughter’s disobedience and the peril to which she has exposed herself and her brother, Mick (Ryan MacLennan), he decrees the immediate sale of the now grown white lion. Learning about Charlie’s likely fate, fourteen-year-old Mia decides that her only hope is to take Charlie to a nature reserve where he will be free to live in the wild – no matter what it takes.

This film may sound like a heartwarming boy and his dog girl-and-her-lion story. But there are some very troubling aspects to this production which should give parents pause before they buy tickets for the whole family. First and most obvious is Mia’s cavalier attitude towards safety around her adored lion. Now, I don’t have any experience with lions. But I live in bear country and have known since childhood that all bears are wild and dangerous and are to be given a very wide berth. John repeatedly tells Mia that you can’t tame lions, but she flatly refuses to believe him. Second, Mia seems to exist in a world of willful delusion. She and Mick both believe wholeheartedly in a legend that says a white lion will come, save the world, and bring nature back in harmony. She is convinced that her reckless choices will turn out just fine because Charlie is the incarnation of the legend. The third issue is Mia’s constant disobedience and disregard for her own safety. The hitchhiking episode made my blood run cold but her flight to the sanctuary with Charlie is even worse. Pulling this off involves Mia shooting her father with a tranquilizer gun, stealing his truck, driving across the country even though she doesn’t have a driver’s license, walking through a shopping mall with her lion, and heading off into the bush without safe drinking water or adequate food – for her or for the lion. Mia is clearly a very flawed protagonist whose choices are certainly fodder for parent/child conversations.

Whether parents want to take their kids to Mia and the White Lion will likely depend on their sympathy with the film’s message. And make no mistake, this is a movie with a message. The writers are deeply concerned about the danger lions face from hunters, with special condemnation for canned hunting (the practice of putting lions in enclosures to be shot by big-game hunters who have paid huge sums for the guaranteed trophy kill). Unfortunately, the film tries a bit too hard and instead of sharing its message it bludgeons the audience with it. In communications terms, this is overkill. And this is one very flawed film.