While this is an adorable film in many aspects, reality is not one of them. This gives children a false impression of what living among wild animals is like, and certainly, his family could have found a different place to live that wasn't so secluded from society. Plenty of country towns with nature all around, and having lived in the country when this film came out, I can attest to the beauty of nature but the danger of dealing with wildlife no matter how cute they look. Raccoons are capable of biting and possibly rabid, bears are not animals to be toyed with even if they are cute babies, and deers have ticks and possible Lyme disease. For construction worker Robert Logan and his wife Susan Damante, their goal is to take daughter Hollye Holmes, who suffers from a lung condition, out to the wilderness, along with son Ham Larsen, and they purchase a plot of land along the river in the middle of the mountains, build a new cabin as if it was a box of Lincoln logs, make pets out of orphaned baby bears, a curious raccoon and a big brown bear who was tamed by the previous owner. They briefly get you play with some curious cougar cubs who's angry mother is not thrilled that her cubs are missing. The only real danger other than the elements of weather comes from a notorious grizzly called three toes who is rumored to be up North but could return at any minute.
Like the same year's "Across the Great Divide" (which also starred Robert Logan), this has gorgeous scenery and is certainly majestic. I'm sure this was magnificent to look at on a big screen, but it isn't "Little House on the Prairie" as the family atmosphere would suggest. They rarely have visitors, only the various animals who cross their paths, a local pilot, a friendly drifter and a doctor from the closest town. Yes, they have enough resources to feed the hungry bears and raccoons, and even take them out on a picnic where the brown bear actually has a tablecloth as a napkin around its neck. The theme song is heard throughout the movie, sweet and calming, but it isn't enough to make the situation at all be realistic.
Anyone who has ever lived in the country or gone camping has had to deal with friendly wildlife wanting to share in hit the human bounty, but as we all know, once you feed a wild animal, it is near to impossible to get rid of them. What is relatable is the exploration of unchartered countryside, finding berry bushes of different kinds, animal dens which you do not disturb, and the occasional spotting of big game. it is obvious that the wild animals used in this film we're trained and fairly tame, some of them having been seen in "Great Divide" as well. When this is view today, it should be watched with the advisement that this is a fantasy, not reality, and that living in a wilderness like this does come with a price. The beauty may be God given, but it is the wildlife who reside in these human free areas who make up the rules.
Like the same year's "Across the Great Divide" (which also starred Robert Logan), this has gorgeous scenery and is certainly majestic. I'm sure this was magnificent to look at on a big screen, but it isn't "Little House on the Prairie" as the family atmosphere would suggest. They rarely have visitors, only the various animals who cross their paths, a local pilot, a friendly drifter and a doctor from the closest town. Yes, they have enough resources to feed the hungry bears and raccoons, and even take them out on a picnic where the brown bear actually has a tablecloth as a napkin around its neck. The theme song is heard throughout the movie, sweet and calming, but it isn't enough to make the situation at all be realistic.
Anyone who has ever lived in the country or gone camping has had to deal with friendly wildlife wanting to share in hit the human bounty, but as we all know, once you feed a wild animal, it is near to impossible to get rid of them. What is relatable is the exploration of unchartered countryside, finding berry bushes of different kinds, animal dens which you do not disturb, and the occasional spotting of big game. it is obvious that the wild animals used in this film we're trained and fairly tame, some of them having been seen in "Great Divide" as well. When this is view today, it should be watched with the advisement that this is a fantasy, not reality, and that living in a wilderness like this does come with a price. The beauty may be God given, but it is the wildlife who reside in these human free areas who make up the rules.