Imagine that you found a wild tiger locked in a cage in the middle of the woods. Would you let it go or let it stay in the enclosure? That\u2019s the dilemma that 12-year-old Rob Horton faces in the film \u201cThe Tiger Rising.\u201d Based on a New York Times best-selling book by Kate DiCamillo, the film focuses on Rob and his friend. Rob is dealing with the loss of his mother. His classmates constantly make fun of him because he and his father moved into a motel after his mother\u2019s death. Rob has a hard time dealing with the emotions of the loss because he won\u2019t allow himself to feel his feelings. He eventually meets Sistine, a spunky new girl who constantly gets into fights because of her attitude. The two band together and try to figure out how to release the tiger from its cage.<\/p>\n
Quaid plays the man who initially showed him the tiger in the cage, while Queen Latifah plays a maid who helps Rob and his friend along the way. Dennis Quaid\u2019s character asks Rob to come out now and then to check on the tiger and feed it, giving him the keys to the cage. After finding the tiger, Rob\u2019s imagination starts running wild while trying to find ways to release it. While allowing his imagination to flourish, Rob struggles with whether he should release the tiger or keep it in the cage. Eventually, Rob and his friend use the tiger as a strong point. When they\u2019re dealing with issues, they tap into the power of the tiger to get through them. Thinking of ways to release the tiger also helps the friends tap into their imagination.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Tiger Rising\u201d is a film about Rob dealing with the loss of his mother and Sistine coping with her anger issues, but there\u2019s also a more profound message. When you\u2019re dealing with the loss of a loved one, especially a parent, it can be easy to stuff your feelings down and tell yourself you\u2019ll deal with them later. However, that approach only makes things worse. Rob is only 12-years-old, so he may not have the emotional capacity to process his emotions. Meanwhile, Sistine is going through the same thing. She\u2019s having difficulty dealing with her feelings and chooses to bottle up her anger and lash out instead of dealing with them immediately.<\/p>\n
Rob and Sistine are brought together and left with the difficult decision to let the tiger go or keep it caged. This film also centers on the power of friendship; Rob and Sistine\u2019s friendship eventually cracks both of their emotional shells, helping each other bring down their defense walls. \u201cThe Tiger Rising\u201d is a beautiful story about how your imagination and friendship can set you free from your emotional sorrows. When you\u2019re going through hard times, it\u2019s always best to reach out for help from others instead of internalizing how you feel.<\/p>\n
Let your imagination run! Watch me in my new family adventure movie trailer @TigerRisingFilm out NOW.\u00a0 THE TIGER RISING in theaters on January 21st. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FILM: www.tigerrisingfilm.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n