Not only a moving testament to the power of family and the desire for freedom, it is also a terrific prison break film, made all the more poignant by the fact that these girls did nothing to deserve internment.
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:133
Fresh:116
Rotten:17
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: Visually beautiful and well-acted, Rabbit-Proof Fence tells a compelling true-life story.
Theatrical Release:Nov 29, 2002 Limited
Box Office: $6,031,193
Synopsis: Set in Australia in 1931, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE tells the story of a government policy that required "half-caste" children (whose mothers were Aboriginal and whose fathers were white) to be taken from... Set in Australia in 1931, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE tells the story of a government policy that required "half-caste" children (whose mothers were Aboriginal and whose fathers were white) to be taken from their homes by the authorities to be trained to work as servants. Based on the true story of Molly Craig, Philip Noyce's film of small gestures and few words follows the odyssey of three young girls who escaped from the government's training facility and, using the country's long stretches of rabbit-proof fences as their guide, walked 1500 miles to get back home. Told squarely from Molly's point of view, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE also highlights the Australian government's treatment of Aboriginies by A.O. Neville (Kenneth Branagh), the legal guardian of the country's indigenous people. His plan to "breed out" the Aboriginal blood of the half-castes is marked by a cool calculation and moral blindness that stands out in sharp contrast to Molly's spiritual and intuitive relationship to the people and places she encounters on her journey. [More]
Starring: Ningali Lawford, David Gulpilil, Jason Clarke, Deborah Mailman
Starring: Ningali Lawford, David Gulpilil, Jason Clarke, Deborah Mailman, Kenneth Branagh
Director: Phillip Noyce
Director: Phillip Noyce
Screenwriter: Christine Olsen
Producer: Phillip Noyce, Christine Olsen, John Winter
Composer: Peter Gabriel
Studio: Miramax Films
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Apr 15, 2003
Reviews for Rabbit-Proof Fence
Searing dramatization of a story of remarkable courage, stamina and spirit.
The film’s premise is simple, but every scene seethes with intensity and outrage as it displays this true account of textbook colonialism.
When the camera focuses on the girls, the story is as riveting as the vast Australian skies that frame the journey.
Despite creating credibility gaps with scanty coverage of the journey Rabbit-Proof Fence is worth the ninety-four minute running time, primarily for educational purposes
Many movies claim to illuminate the human spirit, but Rabbit-Proof Fence actually delivers.
The movie is not as compelling as the story it's trying to tell, but it has some very powerful moments.
The movie may sound like a yawn: Three girls walk through wind and rain and scrub brush to get back where they belong. But it's not.
Piercingly affecting...while clearly a manipulative film, emerges as powerful rather than cloying.
Sampi rarely faces the camera; her gaze eludes us, but her strength and willfulness jump off the screen.
Noyce ... finds the dignity within a piece of hidden history he wisely tells as a courageous story about survival over adversity rather than a political statement.
Latest News for Rabbit-Proof Fence
April 29, 2008:
Philip Noyce Learning The Art of Making Money ![]()
Philip Noyce is in talks to direct DreamWorks' The Art of Making Money, a film about notorious counterfeiter Art Williams. More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Rabbit-Proof Fence at Rotten Tomatoes
- Rabbit-Proof Fence at IGN
- Rabbit-Proof Fence at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

What were your favorites? Least favorites? The funniest and scariest? Moviefone wants to know!

Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



