You are here:

Three Wise Cousins

Name: Three Wise Cousins
Director: Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa
Released: 2016
Duration: 89 min

2016

PG-13

Director

Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Adam is a 22 year old New Zealand born Samoan guy who falls for Mary. On a 'chance' encounter he learns that Mary only wants to go out with a 'real island guy' - not a plastic one. Adam realizes that to get rid of his 'plastic' ways and impress Mary, he'll have to travel to Samoa and have his cousins teach him how to be a real island guy. Three Wise Cousins is a feature length comedy, that will have you laughing from start to end; it's a film unlike any other that will surprise you with it's endless amount of 'wisdom'.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.0/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film focuses on heteronormative romance and traditional kinship. There is no evidence of non-cisnormative identities or critiques of heteronormativity.

Gender Representation

Fair

The plot is driven by a male protagonist, though the female lead acts as the catalyst for his growth. The framework relies on conventional romantic tropes.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The film excels by centering Pacific Islander identities. It disrupts Hollywood tropes by positioning Samoan traditions as the essential standard for authenticity.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The narrative prioritizes indigenous epistemology over Western assimilation. It emphasizes communal wisdom and collective identity over Western individualism.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no discernible information regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this story.

Strengths

Centers Pacific Islander identities and indigenous agency.
Disrupts Western-centric storytelling by prioritizing non-Western cultural knowledge.
Frames cultural reclamation as a meaningful journey of self-actualization.

Areas for Improvement

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisnormative perspectives.
Relies on conventional romantic tropes and heteronormative structures.
Provides no discernible information regarding disability representation.

AI Analysis

Three Wise Cousins is a culturally specific comedy that centers a non-Western worldview. It effectively challenges the hegemony of Westernized identity by framing the reclamation of indigenous heritage as a journey of self-actualization. The film's primary strength is its disruption of the 'civilized Westerner' trope. By portraying the protagonist's Westernized ways as a deficit, the story validates Pacific Islander traditions and communal knowledge. However, the film remains limited in its scope of representation. It operates within traditional romantic and kinship structures, lacking engagement with LGBTQ+ or disability discourse.

How are these scores produced? →