Cousins

Parents need to know that Cousins is a New Zealand drama about three Maori women and the different lives they end up leading, with strong language and instances of racism. The movie is in English and Maori (with subtitles) and provides an intimate look at Maori traditions and culture. The story centers around the lives of three cousins, Mata, Makareta, and Missy, who are each played by three different actors as the action flicks back and forth across multiple decades. Family and identity are key to the plot as the three cousins all experience their Maori heritage in different ways. As a child, Mata is put into an orphanage with limited contact with her Maori "whanau." There she is subjected to racism, bullying, and abuse, both from the fellow kids and the staff. This includes being called "blackie" and having her head held down in a muddy puddle, while another kid is caned for misbehaving. Later in life she experiences homelessness and some unspecified mental illness. But Makareta and Missy both show great perseverance in their efforts to track Mata down. The language is fairly frequent and includes "f--k," "bitch," and "d--khead." During one distressing scene, a mother gives birth to a stillborn baby. The baby is briefly seen, covered in blood, before being covered in a towel. There is some smoking, as befitting some of the time periods depicted. There is also some drinking, including one character pouring alcohol from her hip flask into her coffee.