How long is the first grader

Photos Top cast Edit. Vusi Kunene Mr. Kipruto as Mr. Kipruto as Vusumuzi Michael Kunene. Agnes Simaloi Agnes as Agnes. Abubakar Mwenda Boie as Boie. Justin Chadwick. More like this. Watch options. Storyline Edit. Set in a mountain village in Kenya the film tells the remarkable true and uplifting story of a proud old Mau Mau veteran who is determined to seize his last chance to learn to read and write - and so ends up joining a class alongside six year-olds.

Together he and his young teacher face fierce resistance, but ultimately they win through - and also find a new way of overcoming the burdens of the colonial past. It's never too late to dream. Rated PG for some disturbing violent content and brief nudity.

Did you know Edit. Trivia Tony Kgoroge is a frequent collaborator with director Justin Chadwick, having also appeared in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom , another film Chadwick directed. Crazy credits During the initial credits, there is 1. User reviews 21 Review. Top review. A fine film, but not a feel-good movie for kids. The First Grader , directed by Justin Chadwick, is a serious and important film that is being advertised as a feel-good movie, suitable for kids.

It's an excellent movie, but not for kids. The film is a portrayal of the true story of Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge, an year-old Kenyan man who successfully enrolled in a first grade. Maruge is a former Mau-Mau revolutionary and prisoner of war. He was horribly tortured by the British army, but his spirit was never broken.

When the Kenyan government announces "free education for all," he accepts this literally and tries to enroll in the first grade. This neglect of former revolutionaries has occurred in many countries, and, at least in the film, Kenya is no exception.

As portrayed in the movie, the Kenyan government officials aren't that different from the British colonial officials, except for skin color. They're certainly not enthusiastic about large numbers of adults following Maruge's example and enrolling in school. The film is overly simplistic at times. The behavior of the dedicated teacher who accepts Maruge in her class is too good to be true, and the other education officials are all "bad-guy" cardboard cutouts.

A subplot involving the teacher Jane Obinchu and her husband is contrived and leads nowhere. The torture scenes are horribly graphic and almost certainly realistic. See the entry about Kenya in Wikipedia for the terrible details. Those scenes make the movie completely unsuitable for children, in my opinion.

The film is still worth seeing because it is based on a true event. Who cannot be moved by an year-old who is determined to read? By using this site you are agreeing to our privacy and cookie policy. With no stars and a little-known story at its core, The First Grader , which screened at Telluride and Toronto, will need to rely on strong reviews and good word-of-mouth to entice audiences.

Jane insists that the law is meant for children, but Maruge argues that no such stipulation has been set forth, thereby allowing him to attend. Impressed with his resilience, she brings Maruge into her school, giving him a chance to learn to read, as well as come to terms with the brutal treatment he suffered decades ago at the hands of the British government when he was part of the Mau Mau uprising.

Specifically, the film sheds light on the turmoil between those Kenyans who rebelled against the British and faced torture and the death of their loved ones and those who were loyalists, a rift that leaves the country divided more than 40 years later. Much of the fault falls on the shoulders of writer Ann Peacock, who offers no surprises in her screenplay.

Without much unnecessary flourish, Litondo portrays Maruge as a simple man trying to mask the pain of the past with a stoic but amiable demeanour. Though based on a real person, who died last year from cancer, the Maruge of The First Grader is often written as little more than a symbol of silent defiance, but Litondo succeeds in fleshing out the character with his gentle humanity. Likewise, Harris must contend with playing a blandly determined character, but her innate warmth goes a long way to make her an appealing and sympathetic figure.

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