Third Culture Kid Themes in Movies

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Movies
  • The Gods Must Be Crazy
  • The Terminal
  • The Bourne Trilogy
  • The Incredibles
  • X-Men
  • Star Trek
  • The Lord of the Rings
• Conclusion

Introduction

Many TCKs spend quite a bit of time processing their experiences and feelings and trying to establish who they really are. One of the most helpful experiences for individuals in such a situation is seeing some of their experiences, feelings, and attitudes paralleled in other people. This alleviates feelings of being "weird", helps the individuals understand/express their feelings more clearly, and potentially provides positive role models for dealing with the situations. In fact, these benefits generally apply even if the parallels are only in fictional characters. In particular, movie characters can often fill these roles quite powerfully. We will thus look at movies which illustrate—directly or by analogy—various third culture kid themes. Note that not every theme discussed applies to every TCK. Also note that I'm not necessarily endorsing the movies below. The movies may contain inappropriate content, so cautious viewers are advised to read reviews of a movie before watching it.

Notes

Mentioning particular movies with TCK themes is something that various people have done. However, typically, people either list many movies, but give little or no information about each one, or pick only one movie and analyze it in depth.

Movies

The Gods Must Be Crazy I, II (1980, 1989)

These lighthearted movies are quite enjoyable for most third culture kids.^[G1] The movies show what happens when representatives of various cultures meet. Kate is a white woman from a modern society with sky scrapers and clock-dictated work schedules. One day she decides to work at a mission near the Kalahari Desert for a time. She thus enters a very different physical environment: the savanna, which seems nearly desolate, save for the wild animals. She also meets people who look very different from her racially and in dress, shake their heads to indicate an affirmative response, carry their belongings on their heads, and live in thatched-roof huts. The locals don't seem to be very time-oriented, and some of them use means of transportation that don't meet the safety standards Kate is used to. Before long, however, Kate is able to function well in the local society and serve the natives through her teaching.

While the society which Kate enters seems to her to be organized in a pretty simple way, it seems quite complicated and confusing to Xixo. As far as this traveling Bushman can tell, most of the people he encounters can't even speak, but make "sounds like monkeys". Despite this, some of the people ride on "very noisy [animals]" whose "legs [go] around instead of up and down". Eventually, Xixo learns—more or less—how to drive these vehicles himself. Yet he continues to use the outdoor skills he learned while growing up, which prove quite useful to his new companions.

There is also a white biologist, Andrew Steyn, who has lived in the area for some time. He uses advanced scientific technology, but is able to live in a tent in a remote part of the savanna, deal with wild animals, and communicate with the natives in their own language. In fact, Steyn deals effectively with all the surrounding cultures and at times functions as a "bridge" between some of them. In the end, Steyn plays the key role in saving the day during political unrest. All this is from the first movie, which illustrates TCK themes better and is funnier than the sequel.

Quotes

NARRATOR: [Unlike Bushmen,] "Civilized" man refused to adapt himself to his environment. Instead, he adapted his environment to suit him. […] But, somehow, he didn't know when to stop. The more he improved his surroundings to make his life easier, the more complicated he made it. So, now his children are sentenced to 10-15 years of school, just to learn how to survive in this complex and hazardous habitat they were born into. And civilized man, who refused to adapt himself to his natural surroundings, now finds he has to adapt and re-adapt himself every day, and every hour of the day, to his self-created environment. [GMBC I]

Notes

G1. Some third culture kids see these movies as negatively stereotyping and patronizing certain societies. However, since the movies are comedies and make fun of most of the cultures portrayed, most TCKs won't take the stereotyping too seriously.

In the quotes, "[…]" indicates that some text has been left out, whereas "…" (without square brackets) simply indicates a pause in the thought.

When I was writing this article I didn't have access to English-language versions of some of the movies described. Therefore, some of the quotes are copied from transcripts and may contain minor mistakes.

The Terminal (2004)

This movie is about a guy who is stuck at an airport. That, in itself, makes it resonate powerfully with third culture kids, who travel through airports relatively frequently. Though the total amount of time TCKs spend in airports isn't actually that great, the airport experiences are made more momentous by the—often major—transitions with which they are associated. TCKs become so familiar with the atmosphere of airports, and the mixed feelings of anticipation and loss connected with them, that airports often become a place where TCKs feel they can really be themselves. (I've even heard of MKs at a certain college who regularly went to the nearby airport to do homework, because they felt comfortable there.)

TCKs may smile at scenes involving luggage, visas, forms, Viktor's reluctance to part with his passport, and communication difficulties. They will resonate with trying hard to form deep friendships with locals—the locals here being represented by Amelia—but having limited success, due to being a transient among people with well-established friendships. Viktor's closest friends are immigrants and members of minority groups. When Viktor finally leaves the airport, a large crowd gathers to wish him farewell. Like some TCKs, Viktor has a clear sense that a specific country is Home for him; but, for political reasons, he can't return to it.

Quotes

DIXON: Jake, he has no nationality. OK? No country.

ENRIQUE: Look. The man without a country.

DIXON: So, currently you are a citizen of nowhere.

DIXON [quotes taken from back-and-forth dialogue]: Your country's at war. […] There are men in the streets with guns. Political persecution. […] And God only knows what could happen. […] Viktor, please don't be afraid to tell me you're afraid of Krakozhia.
VIKTOR: Is home. I am not afraid from my home.

MULROY: May he never lose his country again.

VIKTOR: Taxi! Taxi!
TAXI DRIVER: Where you want to go?
VIKTOR: I am going Home.

Notes

The idea of being stuck at an airport for several months seemed amusing and fanciful to me, until I (repeatedly) met a group of asylum-seekers that was stuck at a particular airport for several months. (See http://reconstructionplanning.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/update-on-somali-refugees-in-moscow-airport/ for more information. Cf. also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehran_Karimi_Nasseri.)

The Bourne Trilogy (2002-2007)

These movies are truly international. I counted 12 countries shown and 9 languages spoken in the trilogy! While most TCKs will find all three movies quite enjoyable, TCK themes come out most sharply in The Bourne Identity.

Bourne is having a serious identity crisis. He has no idea where he's from or what he's supposed to be doing with his life. He can speak several languages.^[B1] He has a bank account in Zurich, with a safety deposit box containing multiple currencies. The deposit box also has passports which are from several different countries and even show different names, but all contain photos of him. Bourne—or whatever his real name is—also has answering machine messages in English and French. As he considers these things, he's struck by the immensity of the task of figuring out who he really is.

Bourne soon meets Marie. She's had a pretty nomadic lifestyle, having lived in several countries.^[B2] When Bourne meets her, she has no residence to call her own. Marie helps Bourne figure out his identity, a process which ultimately involves seeing various places and people from his past. Eventually, Bourne more or less establishes who he is, and he and Marie can settle down together. However, before too long, circumstances once again incite Bourne to leave his residence and go abroad.

Quotes

BOURNE: I don't know who I am. I don't know where I'm going. None of it. [Identity]

BOURNE: [speaking French] Tu sais qui je suis? Je ne sais pas qui je suis.
    Do you know who I am? I don't know who I am.
[speaking Dutch] Vertel me wie ik ben. Weet je wie ik ben? Hou dan […] op met dat gezeik, en zeg het me!
    Tell me who I am. Do you know who I am? Then cut it out, and tell me! [Identity]

BOURNE: I've spent three years running, … three years trying to find out who I am. [Ultimatum]

BOURNE: I fell off the grid. I was halfway around the world.
ABBOTT: There's no place it won't catch up to you. [Supremacy]

MARIE: No. Excuse me. No. This is not my current address, okay? This was my current address until two days ago, when I started standing in line outside. Now, I lose my apartment, okay? That means no address, no phone, no money, no time, and I still have no visa! [Identity]

CIA OFFICER: Marie Helena Kreutz. […] Born outside of Hannover. […] It's tough. The girl's a gypsy. She pops up on the grid here and there, but it's chaotic at best. […] She paid some electric bills in Spain, […] had a phone in her name for three months in Belgium.
[…]
CONKLIN: I want to know every place she's slept in the past six years. [Identity]

MARIE: You know, because, I mean, after six months in Amsterdam, you're not sure if you've been there for 20 minutes or 20 years, if you know what I mean. [Identity]

["Extreme Ways" end credits song]: Extreme ways are back again, extreme places I didn't know. I broke everything new again, everything that I'd owned. I threw it out the windows [that] came along. […] I closed my eyes and closed myself and closed my world and never opened up to anything that could get me at all. I had to close down everything; I had to close down my mind. Too many things to cover me; too much can make me blind. I've seen so much in so many places, so many heartaches, so many faces. [Identity]

Notes

B1. We gradually find out that Bourne speaks at least the following languages: English, French, Dutch, German, Russian, and Spanish.

B2. Using information from several scenes, we can infer that Marie has lived in the following countries: Germany, Spain, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. After meeting Bourne, Marie lives in Greece and India.

Once, when I had been traveling in several countries for several months, I had a bit of a "Bourne moment" myself. I woke up in the middle of the night and didn't know in which country I was. In fact, I didn't even know what my occupation was at the time—whether I was still a student, or working, etc. I took a look out the window to see if there were any clues about my location; but it was too dark for me to be able to identity anything. After another minute or two I remembered where I was and what I was doing.

The Incredibles (2004)

We now transition from (semi-)realistic movies to more fanciful genres. Therefore, the remaining movies often illustrate third culture kid themes more by analogy than directly. In The Incredibles, Bob and Helen are involved in heroic work that makes the world a better place. They are able to do things that most people can't do. Their kids also end up developing special skills as a result of being part of a family of superheroes. Bob and Helen also have a "system identity": they have a sponsoring entity—specifically, their government—which provides them and other superheroes with certain perks (relocation expenses, logistical support, etc.). They also have a privileged status, with many people looking up to them.

However, quite suddenly and unexpectedly Bob and Helen are told to stop their superhero work. They are expected to become "average citizens, average heroes, … quietly and anonymously continuing to make the world a better place". Obviously, this creates drastic changes in their lives. Helen is able—at least eventually—to find much of her identity in being a wife and a mother. Yet some of her superhero traits continue to come out at times. Bob, on the other hand, continues to define his identity—whether positive or negative—largely by his work. Yet he considers involvement in corporate America to be meaningless, or perhaps actually harmful, and he longs to be involved in changing the world for the better again. He is thus restless in his work, which results in the family having to move every few years.

Trying to live "normal" lives is hard for the kids as well. Physically they look similar to those around them, and they are pressured to hide their past and the traits that make them different. Thus, they are "hidden immigrants". They have difficulty relating to their peers, having specific skills that make them "strange", while lacking certain social skills.

Eventually, the family does become involved in superhero work again. It is at this point that all of the members can express their true identities, use their special skills, and "blossom". They also grow to strongly rely on and value each other.

Quotes

BOB: Sometimes l think I'd just like the simple life, you know? Relax a little and raise a family.
HELEN: Settle down? Are you kidding? I'm at the top of my game!

HELEN: I'm calling to celebrate a momentous occasion. We're now officially moved in.
BOB: Yeah, well, that's great, honey. And the last three years don't count because … ?
HELEN: Because I finally unpacked the last box. Now, it's official.

HELEN: Right now, honey, the world just wants us to fit in, and to fit in, we just gotta be like everybody else.
DASH: Dad always said our powers were nothing to be ashamed of. Our powers made us special.

HELEN: Other kids don't have superpowers. Now, it's perfectly normal …
VIOLET: Normal? What do you know about normal? What does anyone in this family know about normal?
HELEN: Now, wait a minute, young lady.
VIOLET: We act normal, mom. I wanna be normal! The only normal one is Jack-Jack, and he's not even toilet-trained.

BOB: Look, I performed a public service. You act like that's a bad thing.
HELEN: It is a bad thing, Bob! Uprooting our family again, so you can relive the glory days, is a very bad thing.
BOB: Reliving the glory days is better than acting like they didn't happen!
HELEN: Yes, they happened! But this, our family, is what's happening now, Bob. And you are missing this!

DASH: Does this mean we have to move again?

The X-Men Series (2000-2011)

The X-Men movies take some of the TCK themes from The Incredibles to a deeper, more serious level. In fact, we can think of the themes as being, at times, portrayed with "exaggeration for effect". Mutants—whom I'll sometimes call "specials"—have significant differences from those around them. Some mutants have physical characteristics that make it obvious that they're unusual. Others can, with effort (e.g. shape-shifting), hide their distinctness. Still others only become obvious when they choose to reveal their differences. Some of the last proudly—sometimes even arrogantly—display their unique traits. Others don't really care what anybody else thinks about them. Still others hide their differences (sometimes due to shame), except in situations involving urgent need or strong emotions. Some mutants just wish they could be "normal", and they may go take go to great lengths in an attempt to become so.

Few non-mutants understand specials. Even parents of mutants often don't really understand their children. Some non-mutants want specials to just be able to live in peace as equals. A few actually value mutants' for their unusual skills and want to work together with them. However, most non-mutants believe they would feel better if the specials didn't exist.

The mutants' also vary greatly in their views toward those around them. Some specials at times seem to not care about anyone but themselves. Most mutants, however, at least value their fellow specials (except, perhaps, personal enemies). Indeed, they consider themselves to be part of a community with their fellow mutants—despite the fact that the specific mutations have little in common. Individuals often choose for themselves aliases which hint at their distinctive characteristics.^[X1] Quite a few specials actually study together at a boarding school created specifically for them. Some try to find isolated, misunderstood mutants; let them know that there is a community of specials and that being a mutant is not bad; and help them value their gifts, develop them, and use them for good. Some specials hate the non-mutant society for the society's view of them, and may also consider the non-mutants inferior. However, others serve the community and work toward a society in which mutants are at least considered OK, and perhaps even appreciated for their unique skills.

Quotes

STRYKER: Your country [referring to the U.S.] needs you.
LOGAN: I'm Canadian.^[X2] [Origins]

CHARLES: Logan, it's been almost 15 years, hasn't it? Living from day to day, moving from place to place, with no memory of who or what you are. [X-1]

CHARLES: I always believed I couldn't be the only one in the world. The only person who was different. And here you are. [First Class]

CHARLES: These lights represent every living person on the planet. These white lights are the humans … and these are the mutants. You see, Logan? We're not as alone as you think. [X-2]

NON-MUTANT: [to mutant] Have you ever tried … not being a mutant? [X-2]

KURT: Excuse me? They say you can imitate anybody, even their voice.
RAVEN: [with Kurt's voice] Even their voice.
KURT: Then why not stay in disguise all the time? You know, look like everyone else.
RAVEN: Because we shouldn't have to. [X-2]

RAVEN: Hank, don't! You're beautiful, Hank. Everything you are, you're perfect. Look at all of us! Look at all we've achieved this week, all we will achieve! We are different. But we shouldn't be trying to fit into society. Society should aspire to be more like us. Mutant and proud! [First Class]

Notes

X1. Third culture kids often choose email addresses, Skype usernames, etc. that relate to their TCK background.

X2. This is one of the few X-Men quotes that illustrate TCK themes directly, rather than by analogy. Logan spent his early childhood in Canada, but subsequently spent many years living in and fighting for the U.S. Like Logan, TCKs often identify themselves with whichever country it's most convenient to identify with at the time.

The idea of the X-Men movies illustrating TCK themes was suggested in the mkPLANET forum "Movies with TCK themes", which I read (and posted to) several years ago.

Of the X-Men movies that are out to date, X-Men: First Class illustrates TCK themes the best.

Star Trek (The Original [TV] Series; films 1-6, 11)

Most people who aren't Trekkies (or "Trekkers") presumably won't watch the original TV series. However, the 2009 film Star Trek is a standalone movie that has popular appeal and illustrates some TCK themes. Having a bit of background information makes watching the movie even more rewarding.

The main characters of most TV series are based at a particular geographic location. The heroes of Star Trek, on the other hand, are based on the Starship Enterprise. Their default state is to be on the move, a fact which is implicitly highlighted visually and through narration at the end of virtually every episode and movie. The crew generally stops at specific locations only long enough to complete its particular assignments and resolve any issues that arise.

Furthermore, one of the key themes in The Original Series is the interaction between two cultures, especially their respective value systems. On the one hand is the Vulcan culture, which values rational decision-making, efficiency, a focus on big-picture goals, and adherence to established procedures and ethical systems. On the other hand is the "human culture", which puts a comparatively strong emphasis on personal feelings, interpersonal relationships, and short-term benefits, and which allows for improvisation and situational ethics. These differences in values cause tension between individuals and groups. Yet they also cause internal tension in Spock, the half-Vulcan, half-human. Spock's father is the Vulcan ambassador to the human-dominated federation. (It's not clear though whether Spock ever relocated or traveled with his father as a kid.) Spock almost always identifies himself as a Vulcan, but he has chosen to serve among humans, and at times part of his human side shows itself. He frequently provides an outsider perspective on specific aspects of human culture. Spock feels most at home and fulfilled at Starfleet, whose mission is to seek out untouched civilizations, establish relationships with them, and, when appropriate, try to draw them into the Federation.

Quotes

SAREK [Spock's father]: As ambassador to Earth, it is my duty to observe and understand human behavior. [Star Trek (2009)]

KIRK: Spock is my best officer, and my friend.
AMANDA [Spock's mother]: I'm glad he has such a friend. It hasn't been easy on Spock, neither human nor Vulcan, at home nowhere … except Starfleet. [TOS 2:10, Journey to Babel]

KIRK: What makes you so sympathetic toward them?
SPOCK: It is not sympathy so much as curiosity, Captain—a wish to understand. They regard themselves as aliens in their own worlds, a condition with which I am somewhat familiar. [TOS 3:20, The Way to Eden]

SPOCK: May I ask a personal query?
AMANDA: Anything.
SPOCK: Should I choose to complete the Vulcan discipline of Kolinahr […]? I trust you will not feel it reflects judgment upon you.
AMANDA: Oh, Spock … As always, whatever you choose to be, you will have a proud mother. [Star Trek (2009)]

VULCAN MINISTER [quotes taken from back-and-forth dialogue]: You have surpassed the expectations of your instructors. […] You are hereby accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy. It is truly remarkable, Spock, that you have achieved so much, despite your disadvantage. […]
SPOCK: […] to what disadvantage are you referring?
VULCAN MINISTER: Your human mother.
SPOCK: [taking this as an insult to his mother and a patronizing attitude toward himself] Council, ministers, I must decline.
VULCAN MINISTER: No Vulcan has ever declined admission to this Academy.
SPOCK: Then, as I am half human, your record remains untarnished. [Star Trek (2009)]

SPOCK: Romulans and Vulcans share a common ancestry. Our cultural similarities will make it easier for me to access the ship's computer to locate the device. Also, my mother was human, which makes Earth the only home I have left. [Star Trek (2009)]

SAREK: Speak your mind, Spock.
SPOCK: That would be unwise.
SAREK: What is necessary is never unwise.
SPOCK: I am as conflicted as I once was as a child.
SAREK: You will always be a child of two worlds. I am grateful for this … and for you. [Star Trek (2009)]

OLD SPOCK [narration before end credits]: Space … the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before. [Star Trek (2009)]

Notes

Leonard Nimoy—the actor who played Spock in the original TV series and movies—was born in Boston to Yiddish-speaking Orthodox Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union. Here's an excerpt from http://www.jewishjournal.com/arts/article/bimah_me_up_scotty_20031205/:

Yet the fictional Spock felt anything but alien to Nimoy after he landed the science fiction TV series in 1966. He identified with the character's outsider status amid the human crew of the Starship Enterprise: "As a Jew from Catholic Boston, I understood what it was like to feel alienated, apart from the mainstream," he said.
"There were a number of values in 'Star Trek' that I felt very comfortable with as a Jew," he added. "The futuristic society is a meritocracy that values education, social justice and tikkun olam, repairing the world. That's exactly what we were out there doing on the Starship Enterprise: trying to heal the universe."

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

These movies are classics. They can be analyzed to various degrees of depth and from many different perspectives, one of which is that of TCK themes. Representatives of multiple cultures join together for a common cause: to help fight the evil in the world and restore the good. Their mission takes them to very diverse and unfamiliar lands and cultures—some pleasant and welcoming, others very inhospitable. "The Fellowship"—as the group calls itself—receives help from certain parties who have similar goals. Yet it also faces opposition from many sides. Moreover, at times there are interpersonal conflicts of sorts within the group. In fact, the tension between certain members grows so strong that some of them leave the group.^[L1] Nevertheless, all members of the Fellowship are willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater cause, and some end up doing so.

The largest contingent of the Fellowship is a group of Hobbits. These Hobbits have spent their whole lives in the Shire, a small, peaceful, even idyllic, agrarian community. Most of them are scarcely aware that there's a wider world beyond the nearby towns. They don't really care about what it's like or what's going on in it. Yet all this suddenly changes when the Hobbits more or less unwillingly become involved in global causes and have to cooperate closely with individuals of other cultures. The Hobbits' worldviews are thus greatly expanded and enriched. On returning to the Shire, the Hobbits are immediately seen as strange, due to their outward appearance (changed dress, mannerisms, etc.), and nobody enquires about their heroic deeds and life-changing experiences.^[L2] Thus, when the four Hobbits return to the Green Dragon inn, which they used to frequent, they sit quietly at a table by themselves. Some of the Hobbits end up fully reintegrating into Shire life, while one eventually decides to move abroad again.

Legolas, the Elf, is another integral part of the Fellowship. The ancestors of the Elves had come to Middle-earth a long time ago. The Elves remain distinct from the other inhabitants of Middle-earth (primarily through not being subject to death by old age). When events in Middle-earth begin to look very bleak, many Elves decide to return to their ancestral homeland. However, some Elves decide to stay in Middle-earth and help its native inhabitants, at the cost of sharing in the suffering of Middle-earth and risking their own lives.

Aragorn is one of the leaders of the Fellowship. He already had a thoroughly cosmopolitan life prior to the War of the Ring. His father died when Aragorn was only 2 years old.^[L3] So Aragorn was raised in Rivendell by his mother and Elrond, the "Half-elven" lord. There Aragorn learned to speak Elvish. As an adult, he fell in love with and eventually married Arwen, Elrond's mostly-elven daughter who chose to throw in her lot with Men. He also became chieftain of the Dúnedain, the Rangers of the North, and lived in the wilderness. He served in the armies of Rohan and Gondor before traveling throughout Middle-earth by himself. Through these many experiences, Aragorn increased greatly in skill, knowledge of the world, and wisdom. Yet he neither flaunts his experience nor takes advantage of his special status as Isildur's heir. Instead, he continues to humbly use his skills for good. For a while he leads a group composed of Men, Hobbits, an Elf, and a Dwarf. The latter two, who would naturally have avoided each other, eventually become close friends with each other through this contact. Legolas is also among Aragorn's own closest friends, as is Gandalf, the Wizard. Aragorn is highly instrumental in saving Middle-earth, which subsequently prospers under his leadership.

The Fellowship would never have come into being without Gandalf. His main goal in life seems to be to keep up-to-date on significant events happening throughout Middle-earth; recognize major trends; and attempt to coordinate the actions of various races and individuals for the good of the world. Gandalf has probably spent more of his life actually on the road than any of the other significant characters in the story. He seems to rarely stay in one place for more than a few weeks at a time.

Quotes

SAM: If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.
FRODO: Come on, Sam. … Remember what Bilbo used to say: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the read, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." [Fellowship]

PIPPIN: [singing]
Home is behind, the world ahead;
And there are many paths to tread:
Through shadow, to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight. [Return]

SAM: Look! … It's an Oliphaunt! … No one at home will believe this. [Two Towers]

["May It Be" end credits song]: You walk a lonely road. Oh, how far you are from home! [Fellowship]

FRODO: I don't suppose we'll ever see them again.
SAM: We may yet, Mr. Frodo; we may.
FRODO: Sam, I'm glad you're with me. [Fellowship]

MERRY: [having been attacked by Ringwraiths and chased by a Balrog, and currently having tied hands and feet and being carried off by Uruk-hai] I think we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pippin.
[PIPPIN just smiles] [Two Towers]

SAM: Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? … It'll be spring soon, … And the orchards'll be in blossom, and the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. … And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields … and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. … Do you remember the taste of strawberries? [Return]

FRODO: You're right, Sam. We did what we set out to do. […] I am ready to go home. [Fellowship]

TREEBEARD: You are young and brave, Master Merry. But your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home.
PIPPIN: … Maybe Treebeard's right. We don't belong here, Merry. It's too big for us. What can we do, in the end? We've got the Shire. Maybe we should go home.
MERRY: The fires of Isengard will spread. And the woods of Tuckborough and Buckland will burn. … And all that was once green and good in this world will be gone. There won't be a Shire, Pippin. [Two Towers]

FRODO: I can't do this, Sam.
SAM: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. … But we are. … It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo—the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. […] But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. […] A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something […] Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going, because they were holding on to something. [Two Towers]

FRODO: [thinking] "How do you pick up the threads of an old life? … How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand … there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend … some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold." [Return]

FRODO: [words recalled by Sam] You cannot always be torn in two. You will have to be one and whole for many years. You have so much to enjoy, and to be, and to do. [Return]

GALADRIEL: The time of the Elves is over. Do we leave Middle-earth to its fate? … Do we let them stand alone? [Two Towers]

ELROND: Our time here is ending. Arwen's time is ending. Let her go. Let her take the ship into the West.
[…]
ARAGORN: She stays because she still has hope.
ELROND: She stays for you. She belongs with her people. [Two Towers]

ELROND: [in Elvish] Arwen, it is time. The ships are leaving for Valinor. Go now … before it is too late.
ARWEN: I have made my choice. [Two Towers]

He [Aragorn] rode in the host of the Rohirrim, and fought for the Lord of Gondor by land and by sea; and then in the hour of victory he passed out of the knowledge of Men of the West, and went alone far into the East and deep into the South […]
Thus he became at last the most hardy of living Men, skilled in their crafts and lore, and was yet more than they; for he was elven-wise ….^[L3]

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost." [The Fellowship of the Ring (book)]

GANDALF: "The Grey Pilgrim" ... that's what they used to call me. [Two Towers]

ÉOWIN: I fear neither death, nor pain.
ARAGORN: What do you fear, my lady?
ÉOWIN: A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them, and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire. [Two Towers]

GIMLI: Never thought I'd die fighting side by side with an Elf.
LEGOLAS: What about side by side with a friend?
GIMLI: Aye … I could do that. [Return]

Notes

L1. This is especially relevant for missionary kids, since the number one reason missionaries leave the field prematurely is because of interpersonal issues within their teams.

L2. The Hobbits' personal transformation and their uneventful reception back in the Shire were also first brought to my attention through the mkPLANET forum "Movies with TCK themes".

L3. This and some of the other information about Aragorn comes from The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen in Appendix A of the book The Return of the King (reproduced at http://henneth-annun.net/resources/things_view.cfm?thid=200).

As someone in the mkPLANET forum "Did you know s/he is a tck?" pointed out, Viggo Mortensen, the actor who played Aragorn, was a TCK himself. He was born in the U.S. to an American father and Danish mother (who had met in Norway and married in the Netherlands). For several years Viggo lived in Venezuela and Argentina, spending holidays in Denmark. For a while he attended a boarding school in Argentina. At age 11 he returned to the U.S.. "It was a strange time, as if the whole world were changing, for they arrived back in America just after the first moon landing and just before the cultural phenomenon that was Woodstock …." (http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/biography/artist/viggo-mortensen/biography/131) After attending university, Mortensen returned to Denmark for a few years before moving back to the U.S. "Mortensen is fluent in English, Danish, and Spanish, and conversant in Norwegian. He also speaks French, Italian, and Swedish reasonably well. Mortensen has dual citizenship in the US and Denmark." (http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/Viggo-Mortensen/biography/)

Conclusion

In summary, when a child is put into another culture, he/she initially has culture shock; but eventually he adapts, at least in part, and his worldview expands (Gods Must Be Crazy). The child may also move around frequently, and thus feel like he/she has no permanent home (Terminal). When the TCK moves (back) to his/her passport country—e.g. to attend college—there are often some (re-)entry difficulties (Incredibles). After a while the TCK gets over the initial reentry shock and adapts to the new surroundings somewhat. Yet gradually he/she realizes he still doesn't quite fit—or if he does, it's at the cost of hiding part of himself. At this point the TCK may have an identity crisis (Bourne). Most likely, the TCK eventually realizes that he's not the only one with these traits, and he begins to identify in a special way with other TCKs (X-Men). He comes to understand that he "will always be a child of two (or more) worlds" (Star Trek). Ideally, the TCK eventually learns to get along with representatives of various cultures, utilizes his/her skills effectively, and perhaps accomplishes great things (Lord of the Rings).

Third culture kids and/or third culture kid themes can be found in many other movies as well. Here are some movies for starters:

• Chariots of Fire (1981)
• A Far Off Place (1993)
• End of the Spear (2005)
• If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)
• The Last Samurai (2003)
• Hidalgo (2004)
• Jumper (2008)