Pocahontas

Plot

In 1607, a ship carrying British settlers from the Virginia Company sails for North America in search of gold and other material riches. On board are Captain John Smith (Mel Gibson) and Governor John Ratcliffe (David Ogen Stiers). A storm erupts, and Smith saves the life of an inexperienced young settler named Thomas when he falls overboard, befriending him in the process.

In the "New World", Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan's daughter, learns to her dismay that her father thinks she should marry Kocoum, one of his finest warriors. But though he is handsome and a fine warrior, Pocahontas does not love him, feeling he is far too serious. This is emphasized by a scene showing several children trying to play with him, while he stalwartly ignores them. She asks the advice from the talking tree spirit named Grandmother Willow. Grandmother Willow tells Pocahontas to listen to her heart.

The British settlers land in what will become Virginia and dig for gold under Ratcliffe's orders. John Smith explores the territory, finding the new world to be a place full of adventure. All the time he is followed by the curious Pocahontas, and comes to encounter her. The two spend time together, with Pocahontas teaching John to look at the world in a different way, and to not think of people who are different as 'savages'. Back at the settlement, Powhatan has sent some scouts to learn more about the new arrivals, but Governer Ratcliffe assumes that it is an ambush, and one of the warriors is shot. The warriors retreat, and Powhatan declares that the white men are dangerous and that no one should go near them.

A few days later, John and Pocahontas meet again, during which John learns that there is no gold in the land. They agree to meet at Grandmother Willow's glade again that night.

When Pocahontas returns to her village, she finds that warriors from neighboring tribes have arrived to help Powhatan fight the settlers. Back at the English fort, John tells Ratcliffe there is no gold in the land, which Ratcliffe does not believe, thinking that the natives have hidden the gold for themselves.

That night, Pocahontas' best friend Nakoma catches her sneaking off and informs Kocoum that she has gone. Meanwhile, John sneaks out of the fort, and Ratcliffe orders Thomas to follow him. Pocahontas and John meet in the glade, where Grandmother Willow convinces John to try talking to Chief Powhatan. Pocahontas insists that John meet her father. Both Kocoum and Thomas watch from the shadows as John and Pocahontas kiss. Kocoum, overwhelmed by jealously, attacks and tries to kill John, but even as he is successfully being pushed off, Thomas intervenes and kills Kocoum. Hearing voices approaching, John tells Thomas to run. A group of natives take John prisoner, thinking he is the murderer, and Powhatan announces that he will be executed at dawn before the war with the settlers begin.

Thomas returns to the fort and announces John's capture. Ratcliffe sees this as an opportunity to attack and rescue John at the same time, and they just arrive just as John is about to be executed. Before Powhatan can strike, Pocahontas throws herself over John, telling him that she loves John and that Powhatan must see where the path of hatred has brought them, and asking him to choose. Powhatan lowers his club and orders John freed. Ratcliffe orders the settlers to fire anyway, but they too refuse. Ratcliffe fires at Chief Powhatan himself, but John pushes the chief aside and is shot instead. The settlers turn on Ratcliffe, capturing him and sending him back to England to await punishment for high treason.

John survives the gunshot, but he must return to England for medical treatment if he is to survive. Pocahontas and her people arrive to see them off, and John and Pocahontas bid their goodbyes.

The Box Office

The film was a box-office success, earning $141,579,773 in the United States and $346,079,773 worldwide.

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 56% based on reviews from 50 critics and reports a rating average of 6 out of 10. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 58 based on 23 reviews. The film was harshly criticized by Chief Roy Crazy Horse as historically inaccurate and offensive for glossing over more negative treatment of Pocahontas and her tribe by the English. He claims that Roy Disney refused the tribe's offers to help create a more culturally and historically accurate film.

The musical score by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz received two Academy Awards, including one for the song "Colors of the Wind".The film's soundtrack was also successful, reaching number-one on the Billboard 200 during the week of July 22, 1995. It ended up with a triple platinum certification.

The Awards

 

Ceremony	Recipient	Category	Result
Academy Awards	"Colors of the Wind" (Alan Menken, Composer; Stephen Schwartz, Lyricist)	Best Original Song	Won
	Alan Menken (Composer), Stephen Schwartz (Lyricist)	Best Original Music Score	Won
Annie Awards		Best Animated Feature	Won
	Nik Ranieri (Supervising Animator for "Meeko")	Individual Achievement for Animation	Won
	Chris Buck (Supervising Animator for "Grandmother Willow")		Nominated
	David Pruiksma (Supervising Animator for "Flit")		Nominated
	Alan Menken (Composer) Stephen Schwartz (Lyricist)	Best Individual Achievement for Music in the Field of Animation	Won
	Michael Giamo (Art Director)	Best Individual Achievement for Production Design in Animation	Won
	Rasoul Azadani (Layout Artistic Supervisor)		Nominated
Artios Awards	Best Casting for Animated Voiceover	Brian Chavanne Ruth Lambert	Won
ASCAP Awards	Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures	"Colors of the Wind"	Won
	Top Box Office Films		Won
BMI Film Music Awards		Alan Menken (Composer)	Won
Environmental Media Awards	Best Feature Film		Won
Golden Globe Awards	"Colors of the Wind"	Best Original Song	Won
	Alan Menken (Composer)	Best Original Score	Nominated
Golden Reel Awards	Best Sound Editing - Music Animation		Won
Grammy Awards	Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media	"Colors of the Wind"	Won
Young Artist Awards	Best Family Feature - Musical or Comedy		Nominated

The Trailer of Pocahontas