Sea Worthy

Sea Worthy (Cherokee: ᎠᎺᏉᎯ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗᏯ amequohi tsugvwalodiya) is a 1959 American Cherokee-language fantasy comedy-drama film written by Joel Graham and directed by Zachary Bell. The film stars Nixon Wagner as Zak Pearson, a sea monster boy with the ability to assume human form while on land, who explores the town of Ohitekah with his new best friend Matthew Wolfe (Benjamin Barlow), experiencing a life-changing summer.

Produced by Bell's production company Allstar Pictures, the film premiered in the Matthew Graham Theater on June 13, 1959 and was released in the United States by Anomaly Pictures on June 18, to mixed reviews from critics. Some praised the film for its visuals and nostalgic feel, while others criticized the storyline and screenplay. It was a box-office success, grossing $140 million against a $10 million budget. Scenes from the film, such as the one where Kanata hears US Army Lieutenant Seth Turner's telegram, spawned a series of Internet memes.

In 2005, Sea Worthy was inducted into the Library of Congress to be preserved as part of its National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot
In Cherokee, Oklahoma, Jistu Kanata, a local bully and repeat champion of the Ohitekah Cup Race, receives a message from US Army Lieutenant Seth Turner, requesting state leadership. Sequoyah Ahoka comments that Turner's point isn't unjustified, because the communications system could break down at any time, and that would make them lose contact with the rest of the world, so they couldn't pass off orders. In contrast, Luca Daugherty thinks that Turner wants to seize power, and stated that he never trusted the mob he gathered at Oklahoma City, commenting that it "stinks of a coup." Kanata declares Turner a traitor, ordering his dismissal from all posts, arrest and execution. Meanwhile at dinner, Kanata learns of Corporal Nathan Hussain's secret negotiations and orders his execution.

Zak Pearson, a timid young sea monster living off the coast of the Cherokee city Ohitekah, herds goatfish and is forbidden by his parents to approach the surface, as humans might hunt him. One day, Zak meets Matthew Wolfe, a fellow sea monster child who lives alone above the surface, claiming that his father simply is not around much. Matthew encourages Zak to adventure out of the ocean, showing him that sea monsters look exactly human when dry, but return to their true forms when wet. Zak follows Matthew to his hideout, where the boys connect while making and riding a makeshift, fragile Vespa. Upon discovering their son's actions, Zak's parents plan to send Zak to live in the deep sea with his uncle Hugo. In retaliation, Zak and Matthew run away to Ohitekah to find a Vespa and travel the world.

The boys run afoul of Jistu Kanata, but Zahra Mooney, a young girl, helps them escape. In hopes of winning the money needed for a Vespa, the boys and Giulia form a team for the triathlon, which involves swimming, fry bread-eating, and biking. Unable to swim without revealing themselves, Luca and Alberto respectively take on the biking and fry bread-eating races, while Zahra takes the swimming race. Kanata vows to beat the group.

While the boys befriend Zahra's fisherman father Franklin, Zak's parents head to the surface to find their son. Zahra teaches Zak about school, and the two bond over a love of learning, especially about astronomy. Matthew becomes jealous of Zak and Zahra's growing friendship. When Zak starts ignoring Matthew's advice, and tries changing their plans to going to school instead of traveling, he and Matthew fight. In anger, Matthew intentionally reveals his true form to Zahra. Zak feigns surprise at the transformation, and a heartbroken Matthew is driven off by Kanata. Zahra later deliberately splashes water on Zak to calm him down, seeing his true identity; she then sends him away for his own safety.

Zak attempts to reconcile with Matthew, and discovers that Matthew's father abruptly abandoned him long ago, making Matthew think he was a bad kid who should not have friends in the first place. Zak sets out to win the Vespa on his own, to make things right. After several mishaps, Zak takes the lead in the bicycle race, but is forced to take shelter when it starts to rain. Matthew arrives with an umbrella, but Kanata knocks it away and both boys are revealed as sea monsters. They flee Kanata, who now intends to harpoon them; Zahra helps by smashing her bike into Kanata's, but she is injured. Zak and Matthew turn back to help her, and are defended from monster hunters by Franklin, who reveals that the boys are his friends. He also points out they have crossed the finish line and won the race. Other disguised sea monsters reveal themselves, including Zak's family, and the townsfolk happily welcome them. Meanwhile, Kanata is humiliated by his henchmen, who were fed up with his abuse.

Zak and Matthew purchase a Vespa, but the latter sells it to buy a train ticket for Zak, allowing him to go to school in Oklahoma with Zahra. Zak's family, Franklin, and Matthew see Zak and Zahra off at the train station, where they all promise to stay in touch. During the credits, Zak meets Zahra's mother and attends school over the following year, while showing off his sea monster appearance, watching humans walk on the moon with Zahra on television the following year. Franklin becomes Matthew's adoptive father, and Franklin and Zak's family enjoy interacting with the humans in Ohitekah. In a post-credits scene, Hugo talks to a stray goatfish about how great his life is in the depths of the ocean.

Cast

 * Nixon Wagner as Zak Pearson
 * Benjamin Barlow as Matthew Wolfe
 * Alyvia Lee as Zahra Mooney
 * Roberto Hebert as Jistu Kanata
 * Clay Bridges as Luca Daugherty
 * Tom Mitchell as Sequoyah Ahoka
 * Zak Fujiwara as Franklin Mooney
 * Asia O'Donnell as Samantha Pearson
 * Isai Hahn as Jared Pearson
 * Amber Phillips as Mrs. Maynard
 * Kora Middleton as Grandma Pearson
 * Ian Bush as Uncle Hugo

Home media
Sea Worthy was first released on VHS and LaserDisc with English subtitles by Cherokee Video on April 1, 1980, as one of its first releases.

The Region 1 DVD, which contains the film's black-and-white and colorized prints, was released by Cherokee Video on May 17, 1999.

Legacy
Sea Worthy is well known for its rise in popularity due to many "Kanata Rants" internet parody videos which use several scenes in the film: where Kanata hears US Army Lieutenant Seth Turner's telegram and when Kanata is having dinner and discovers Corporal Nathan Hussain secretly made a surrender offer to the United States Army due to insubordination and misuse of firearms. In the videos the original Cherokee audio is retained, but new subtitles are added so that Kanata and his subordinates seem to be reacting to an issue or setback in present-day politics, sports, entertainment, popular culture, or everyday life.