There are times when for some reason or another, you just want to watch something that makes you feel right. Regardless of a movie's quality or lack thereof, if it provides a pleasant distraction from an otherwise unpleasant situation, then it's just the right tool for the job. Holiday in the Wild is far from a perfect film, but it is precisely the kind of story that we need at present. A heartwarming tale of love, family, and care. Call it cheesy or fuzzy, but don't call it unappreciated.
The story follows a woman named Kate (Kristin Davis) as a licensed Veterinarian who's son has just gone off to College. Immediately after sending him away, Kat's husband reveals that he is not in love with her anymore and promptly takes off himself. His timing could not have been more terrible as Kate had planned a surprise second Honeymoon in Africa for the two of them. Unsure of what to do, Kate takes the trip herself. Soon after, she meets her tour guide Derek (Rob Lowe), who also happens to work at an Elephant Orphanage/Recovery Center. After the two of them discover a baby Elephant who just lost his mother to poachers, they whisk the young animal away to the center, where Kate decides to stay and help at the center. From there, Kate rediscovers who she wants to be and finds something new and meaningful in her life.
Objectively speaking, this film is a bit ridiculous—both positively and negatively. On the one hand, it stars two attractive people who aren't acting, but rather are playing exaggerated versions of themselves if not characters which made them famous. The plot is yet another tale of a rich white woman going on what they consider a walkabout. Not to mention it is yet another movie about white savior figures in Africa.
On the other hand, for every issue I just raised, this movie offers a decent counterbalance. Even though the two main leads are not playing actual characters, they both still have a great deal of charisma, which provides most of the film's energy. Although the plot does center around a rich white woman, it has the good sense to make her character intelligent and fully prepared to get her hands dirty, unlike the stereotypical "city girl who never worked before" cliche often found in these kinds of films. Also, and this is especially appreciated; the main characters are not white savior figures. Yes, they are white people in Africa who help out with an important cause, but they are just people joining the fight. Things don't just miraculously get better when Kate arrives, she doesn't wave her money around to "update" the orphanage, and none of the black characters appear incompetent or apathetic.
Holiday in the Wild is just the right amount of warm & fuzzy that we all could use right now. It's pleasant without being childish, intelligent without being condescending, and relevant without being pretentious. If you need a cute "feel-good" movie (as I'm sure we all do right now), give this one a shot. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
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