A Non-review by Professor Popinjay
“In chess, the small one can become the big one.”
I recently attended a presentation about life in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We brought the kids along as it was to be very informative and we’d like them to think about people other than themselves. They got into a fist fight over who got to sit in the front seat on the way home.
Obviously further education was necessary. My wife suggested we watch Queen of Katwe. It features one thing my kids love: Chess. And another thing my kids clearly need: perspective.
Queen of Katwe is based on a true story about a very poor girl from Katwe, Uganda who got into the game of chess and got very VERY good at it. My wife spent some time in Uganda but did not play chess there.
I watched this at my parents house with my mother present which is unusual. My mom can’t handle movies these days. She either disconnects entirely if the movie is too fantastic, is deeply disturbed if things in the film grow too dark thematically, or becomes too emotional if the film is too dramatic or sad.
Amazingly Queen of Katwe held mom’s attention for the most part. While there are many adverse situations that arise due to the girl’s status in life, she usually quickly overcomes them. There was really only one major tragedy that had my mom in tears and well, me too. Mom had to leave the room for a while but she came back eventually.
Like most sports movies, this film, even though it’s about a very old board game, is similarly not so much about the technical aspects of the game more than it is about the qualities one must possess in order to succeed at that game. And just as in the sports movies, those necessary qualities are often concordant with what we need to persevere through the hardships in life.
Phiona Mutesi, on whom this film is based, faced insurmountable hardships, many very different from what you might expect to see in a film about American athletes. Queen of Katwe demonstrates this perspective very effectively.
And yet, it’s fun. And ultimately it’s happy. And the ending is not what one might expect. And they show the real people at the end. I love that.
I’m grateful to my wife for recommending this film. Now if only I could just get our children to apply these life lessons to their fight for the front seat of the car. Perhaps we need a movie about that situation specificity: Queen of the Front Seat.
If you are interested in helping Uganda or the DRC I provide these links for your convenience:
Professor Popinjay's Compendium of Perspicacity 
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