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Jake "the Muss" Heke
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Jake "the Muss" Heke is a fictional character created by New Zealand writer Alan Duff. He appears in three of Duff's novels, Once Were Warriors (1990), What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1996) and Jake's Long Shadow (2002) as a violent-tempered urban Māori man from New Zealand, abusive to his wife Beth and their six children: Nig, Sonny, Boogie, Grace, Polly and Huata. His nickname, "the Muss", is short for "Muscles".In the film adaptations of Once Were Warriors and What Becomes of the Broken Hearted he is played by Temuera Morrison, who said in 2010 that the role was a millstone round his neck.
^ "Once were Warriors star Jake a millstone". Stuff/Fairfax. 19 August 2014.
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Filmography of Jake "the Muss" Heke (2 films)
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, 1h38Directed by Ian Mune
Genres Drama
Themes Films about families, Seafaring films, Transport films, Films about domestic violence, Gangster films
Actors Temuera Morrison, Nancy Brunning, Julian Arahanga, Rena Owen, Tammy Davis, Lawrence Makoare
Rating63%
Jake "the Muss" Heke is now fighting to save his son Sonny from a gang lifestyle after his eldest son, Nig, is killed in a gangland shootout. Jake goes through a period of hopelessness as he tries to restore his family to a functioning state after his anger, drinking, and violence (depicted in the first film) tore them apart. He still has trouble accepting the old traditional ways of the Māori people, but he begins to realise the importance of family and regrets what his former actions have done to them. Towards the end of the film, Jake does his best to reconcile with his family, even going so far as to save his son's life despite great personal risk to himself. This action, along with several others, serve to highlight Jake's changing characteristics.
Once Were Warriors (1994)
, 1h39Directed by Lee Tamahori
Origin Nouvelle zelande
Genres Drama
Themes Films about alcoholism, Films about families, Feminist films, Medical-themed films, Seafaring films, Films about drugs, Transport films, Films about domestic violence, Gangster films
Actors Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Cliff Curtis, Julian Arahanga, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, George Henare
Rating78%
Beth left her small town and, despite her parents' disapproval, married Jake "the Muss" Heke. After 18 years they live in an unkempt state house in an unnamed New Zealand city and have five children. Their interpretations of life and being Māori are tested. Their eldest daughter, Grace, keeps a journal in which she chronicles events as well as stories she tells her younger siblings.