“Uproar” is a sweetly-uplifting coming-of-age dramedy set against a fraught moment in the history of New Zealand.

It’s about a sensitive teen trying to find his place in a rugby-obsessed culture, and a member of the Māori minority struggling with identity in a mostly-white country that agreed to host Apartheidist South Africa’s famous rugby squad as the world was finally turning against that repressive, racist state.

Julian Dennison, the cute kid from Taika Waititi’s charming “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” plays Josh Waaka, a smart, bespectacled and rotund kid forever bullied at the mostly-white prep school he attends.

His older brother was a star player for the school in his day, but Jamie (James Rolleston) is on crutches, his career at an end and too bitter and grim to stick with the rehab that will at least let him walk without a cane.

Mum (Minnie Driver) is a custodian at St. Gilbert’s, another reason Josh is there.

It’s 1981, Josh narrates, a moment in history when “mild mannered” New Zealand was torn by protests as Māori and some white allies took up the cause of shaming their government for hosting the murderously repressive Boer state‘s Springbok’s squad.

Being smart and sarcastic, Josh has to see the irony in the stern headmaster (Mark Mitchenson) lecturing the student body that “Real New Zealanders combat division with unity.”

“Unity” is sometimes code for a majority imposing its idea of “calm” on minorities.

Josh has a childhood friend, Grace (Jada Fa’atui), more traditionally Māori, who comes into political awareness over the issue. But being half-Māori, Josh never picked up the language or expressed much interest in the culture. He’s not ready as a “brown” person to identify with the South Africa’s oppressed Black majority.

And he has that one teacher who takes an interest. Mr. Madigan, played by Rhys Darby of “Next Goal Wins” and the recent series, “Our Flag Means Death,” calls on Josh in English class and would love for him to join the secret theater group he’s started in the conservative school. The kid’s emotionally available and a quick study at memorizing lines and the teacher would like him to capitalize on that talent.

But as the street protests turn violent and the school rugby team begs Jamie to take over as coach, Josh finds himself pulled in multiple directions at a time in life when your first big decisions present themselves. Which way — or ways — will he go?

There were many hands reworking the script Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett directed, so perhaps that’s why the picture has a compromised feel. The dialogue also has a scattering of modern anachronisms transferred to the early ’80s which grab your attention.

It’s still sweet, lightly amusing and very good at setting up the conflicts, identifying villains and such. But a concerted effort to “not be predictable” serves up false leads, red herrings in the plot and a sometimes frustrating feeling to things that aren’t resolved.

The big moments scome from exactly the places and situations you expect — a march that climaxes with a Māori haka chant/dance at billy-clubbing riot police, a bit of pursue-your-bliss and a moment of solidarity among people who got their share of raw deals from the British who colonized their islands in the 1840s and took most of their land.

Even as a child actor, Dennison had screen presence to burn. He’s effective here, with Darby adding sparkle to the teacher trying to sneak a production of “Foreskin’s Lament” by the authorities. Driver was cast for her nurturing but fiesty presence. And Erana James from Amazon’s “The Wilds” series impresses as the most outspoken protester of them all, the fiery Samantha.

“Uproar” is a tad too cute to pass by uncriticized. An overly-precious epiloque rather spoils the climax. But it’s long and never once drags, and the players, the politics and the intrigues tucked into it make a splendid history lesson, one with just enough feel-good moments to carry the day.

Rating: PG-13, violence, profanity

Cast: Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Erana James, James Rolleston, Jada Fa’atui, Mark Mitchenson and Minnie Driver

Credits: Directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett, scripted by Hamish Bennett and Sonia Whiteman, based on a script by Keith Aberdein. A Blue Sky release.

Running time: 1:49