LAPUSH — Quileute tribal members say Taylor Lautner, who depicts Jacob Black in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” spoke the tribe’s language well, but they won’t translate.
In the movie, Lautner’s Jacob leans in for a first kiss with Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, when he murmurs a phrase in Quileute.
“I love you” seems to be the most popular translation chosen by blogging fans of the four-novel saga set in Forks, LaPush and Port Angeles.
But the tribe isn’t saying.
“Please know we would love to translate the phrase for you, but out of respect for Jacob and his feelings for Bella, we are going to keep that private for now,” Jackie Jacobs, tribal publicist, said in a prepared statement.
“We are very excited that Jacob’s ‘Quileute whisper’ has generated worldwide interest in our beautiful and very unique language.”
Lautner also has stayed mum on the phrase and told MTV that it was an “Easter egg that only the most hard-core ‘Twilight’ fans will be able to crack.”
Whatever it was that he said, he spoke it well, said Chelsea Jackson, 17 — one of several young Quileute women who attended the Nov. 16 Los Angeles premiere of the movie.
“He did very, very well,” she said.
“He represented us wonderfully,” she said.
She wouldn’t translate, either.
Team Jacob
All of the young Quileute women who attended the premiere are firmly in “Team Jacob” — referring to the arguments among fans whether Bella should choose her Quileute best friend Jacob, who turns into a wolf when angered or in defense against vampires, or Edward, a vampire and her so-called soulmate.
The Los Angeles premiere was inundated with fans who gave the Quileute tribal members star treatment.
“I know more than one of the those of us who went were asked for autographs,” said Rochelle Lynn Warner, 30.
“It was seriously a rush. There were fans everywhere. They were all so crazy about Twilight.”
Jackson said the crowd of fans was overwhelming.
“I thought it was kind of weird, at first,” Jackson said. “But it was so interesting to meet all these fans who love the books and movie so much.
“There were so many who wanted to come [to LaPush] or had already been here.
“They all just kept saying how honored they were to meet us, and that was pretty awesome.”
Jackson said she has already devoured the series of bestselling novels — Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn — and is looking forward to the June 30, 2010, release of “Eclipse,” the third film in the series.
‘About our tribe’
“I really love New Moon the best because it tells about our tribe,” Jackson said.
Jackson said the scenes where Bella and Jacob spend time together are the most intense.
“The whole thing, but especially those scenes, were really great,” she said.
“And the parts where Jacob transforms into a wolf are really awesome — the animation is great.”
Jackson, Warner and Page Foster, 13, who also attended the premiere said the books and movies are a source of pride to bring attention to their tribe.
“I really felt like, ‘Go Quileutes,'” Warner said.
Foster said that her father, Tony Foster, who is on the tribal council, showed several his business card from the council.
“They were so shocked that he was the real deal,” Foster said.
Page Foster said she is eager to see how “Eclipse” appears on the big screen.
“I’ve read the books many, many times,” she said.
“I’m Team Jacob all the way.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladaily news.com.