What Happened to Maureen Going to Duke? (spoilers)

Multiple times in the film, up to and maybe even after Maureen is being hit on by her date's father at the dance, it was mentioned that Maureen would be going to Duke University "in a few weeks." A lot of time seems to pass in the film after this (mother in hospital for a while, baby is born, mother comes home - which was several days later back then even for a healthy mother, Maureen and Court meet, start having sex, Maureen falls in love, Court dies, they have a funeral, Maureen mourns, eventuslly tries to connect with Dani, Dani rejects her, Dani gets advice from father, Dani and Maureen finally reconnect) and nothing is ever again mentioned about Maureen leaving very soon (or why she hasn't already left, or that she is no longer going.)

Yes, in theory everything in the movie could have happened in two weeks, but there seemed to be more separate days where events took place than just 14, even if they were all consecutive. And "a few weeks" could mean more than three, but the movie seemed to span at least a few MONTHS, not just a few weeks.

And why didn't Maureen mention she would be leaving for Duke soon when Court talked about them being together forever? Yes, she might not have wanted to bring it up, but surely Court would have heard about it from his mother, who knew all about it.

It's as if there was a whole other subplot that just got dropped from the film, but those scenes with the dialogue about it got left in. Did I miss some reference to her no longer going to Duke?


"My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider."