Listen to this film with your heart

Rating: Null/10 (27 February 2000)

If you can get past the inaccuracies in historical detail, you'll find that the heart of this film's message is respect -- respect for our natural world, respect for each other, and respect for our cultural differences.
If your children are old enough to understand history and discern the difference between truth and fiction, they should know that events did not really happen as the movie depicts, and they should be taught the sad story of this country's indigenous people.
A fundamental belief of native Americans was an unceasing acknowledgement of their God-given natural resources. And although in reality the early settlers were not out to plunder this land for gold, (it was tobacco and escape from religious persecution, I believe,) the film's fictitious motive helps illustrate the adversarial relationship between the Indians and Whites that ensued for the next two centuries.
John Smith's explorer's curiosity and Pocahontas' open heart transcend the physical and philosophical differences which provide the story's conflict. I was surprisingly touched by the song "Colors of the Wind" the first time I heard it. It is a love song about life that tells you to look at the world around you and appreciate it with more than just your eyes. There's even a Zen-style paradox to the lyric "paint with all the colors of the wind" which children may come to understand in their own way better than adults.
Reviews about this film are filled with criticisms about the plot line, characters, and how the film offends history. The film's message of tolerance, respect, and acceptance is an important one for young minds. Ignore all the other stuff and listen to this movie with your heart.

By the way, all the performances are top notch, but I especially enjoyed the talented David Ogden-Stiers (Charles Emmerson Winchester from TV's M*A*S*H*) as both Governor Ratcliffe AND his own side-kick, Wiggins!