How it Begins
The Hunt for Wilderpeople begins in a very different way than it ends. It starts with Paula and Andy (Oscar Kightley) taking Ricky to Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hector’s place. He immediately looks around and tries to be taken back to his group home. Then, we see an awkward first dinner between Bella, Ricky, and Hector, and later Ricky tries to run away. Ricky is very dismissive of his new family and wants to escape as soon as possible. Eventually, Ricky warms to Bella, but the opening scenes are a stark contrast to the final ones.
We see a changed Ricky by the end of the film. He now feels a familial bond with Hector and does everything to keep them together. The viewers also see Hector’s change, as he goes from a somewhat detached man to a reluctant father figure.
