Chapter 6 Summary: “Close to the Sky”
1. Bella’s True Motivation
While resting high in the mountains, Hec reveals a poignant secret: Bella had no family of her own. Like Ricky and Hec, she was an “outsider” who grew up without a proper home. This is why she was so determined to foster children; she wasn’t just doing a job, she was providing the love and belonging she had missed out on herself. This revelation shows that the “Wilderpeople” are a family built on shared experience and empathy.
2. The Media’s Twisted View
The film cuts to a television interview with Paula, the social worker. The contrast between Bella and Paula is massive. While Bella saw the good in Ricky, Paula describes him as a “menace” and a “spitfire.” The presenters on the news programme are visibly shocked by her aggressive and heartless attitude. This scene uses satire to mock how the “care” system often focuses on labels and rules rather than the actual child.
3. The Sick Ranger
Ricky and Hec discover a park ranger’s hut and find a man inside who is dangerously ill (in a diabetic coma). Despite being on the run, they decide they cannot leave him to die. Since Hec’s leg is still healing, they realise that Ricky must go for help. This is a major turning point for Ricky; he chooses to risk his own freedom to save a stranger’s life.
Film Analysis for Your Portfolio
1. Theme: Empathy vs. Bureaucracy
This chapter highlights the two ways of looking at Ricky:
- The Empathy of Bella: She understood him because she had lived his life.
- The Bureaucracy of Paula: She only sees him as a file or a “problem” to be managed.
2. Narrative Structure: The Turning Point
In the “Hero’s Journey” (a common structure in English literature), this is the moment the hero proves their worth. Ricky stops being a “bad egg” who only cares about himself and starts acting like a hero.
3. Visual Contrast and Sound
- Setting: The quiet, peaceful mountains (close to the sky) represent truth and honesty.
- The Interview: The noisy, bright TV studio represents the lies and exaggerations of the city world.
- Music: Notice how the soundtrack changes from upbeat and quirky to more emotional and serious during Hec’s story about Bella.
Chapter 6: close to the sky
- What do we learn about Bella and why she wanted to foster Ricky?
- The film cuts to Paula on a new programme. What way does she describe Ricky?
- They find a sick man and Ricky goes to get help. Describe what happens.