The Lion

Hayward travels to Kenya to reconnect with his daughter Tina, who is unsettled by her mother Christine’s life with Bullitt. He learns Tina resents his absence and senses a growing rift between the adults over her future. The trip sets the stage for a custody struggle that threads through the story.

Christine has remarried John Bullitt, a former big-game hunter who now runs a Kenyan preserve. Tina begins to see Bullitt as her father, furthering the emotional distance from Hayward. The tension between the parents over Tina’s upbringing deepens.

Tina spends much of her time with King, the lion she raised from a cub, and believes they share a psychic bond. She even challenges King’s mate in defense of this bond. Hayward earns Tina’s respect by staying calm and supportive when danger looms around King.

Bullitt takes Christine, Tina, and the others on a reckless jeep excursion into the wild. They harass enraged elephants and narrowly escape disaster. The dangerous stunt heightens the custody conflict and exposes the risks of Tina’s wild upbringing.

It becomes clear that Hayward has a legal right to claim Tina’s custody. Bullitt’s bravado fades as Christine and the authorities weigh the best future for Tina. The dispute intensifies as Tina’s affection for Africa clashes with modern society’s safety concerns.

The old Masai chief grows gravely ill, and the tribe contemplates leaving him in the bush as part of a harsh custom. Hayward protests, insisting the chief be treated at the compound. Kihero warns against breaking with tradition, revealing deep tribal tensions.

With the old chief near death, the tribe initiates a ceremony to elevate his son as the new chief. The youths dance in a hypnotic courtship ritual, and Tina’s eyes show she longs to join. Hayward wrestles with balancing Tina’s interests and respect for local customs.

The old chief returns suddenly, denounces his son, and drives him out of the village. The succession plan collapses as chaos follows, forcing the tribe to reevaluate its leadership. Tina’s fascination with the ritual underscores the widening rift between her new life and the tribe’s world.

Enraged by Hayward’s interference, the young Masai warrior kills Kihero and goes in search of King. Tina orders King to attack Kihero’s killer, sparking a brutal confrontation. Bullitt is forced to shoot King, but it is too late—the killer dies in the chaos.

The violent events convince Hayward that Tina cannot be raised in this environment. Christine’s relationship with Bullitt dissolves, and he concludes they cannot stay. The family resolves to leave Africa and seek a safer future in America.

The reunited family flies home to America to start a new life together. They leave behind the dangers and complexities of the Kenyan bush for a calmer, modern existence. The film closes on a note of cautious hope for their future.