Seven Alone (1974) User Reviews

True greatness of this film is in its historical value

[reb-39 · 5/10 · 31 July 2005]

As one who grew up in Oregon and remembers reading in history about the Sager children on the Oregon Trail, this film has personal sentimental value.

I agree completely with the other reviewer's comments regarding the flaws in this film. Yes, it does seem very low budget and amateurish, especially by today's standards. There are some fairly believable scenes here and there, but the true greatness of this film is in its historical value. The fact that this adventure profiles a family during the great migration on the Oregon trail, using real characters, not made-up ones, to do so is unique. It seems today's great epics, Titanic, Pearl Harbor, etc. tend to rely on fictional characters that pollute the authenticity of the real story. The irony is that real people are far more interesting and compelling as well as being more believable.

The real Sager story is a great one and deserves a good telling using the best available. I'd like to see it attempted again with better writing, acting, and production. Unfortunately, Hollywood's recent track record for remakes is mixed at best and I wouldn't hold my breath expecting such a remake to be even as true to the facts as this one was.

In spite of its flaws, this film is a must see for anyone wanting to know about the history of the Oregon Trail though films. Any collection of Oregon Trail related films will include it.

Roger

A good family film

[shawn_hardy · 6/10 · 19 February 2006]

This was not a Hollywood blockbuster but that's o.k. It was a film based on the lives of a group of people who travel from the Midwest to the west coast and endure the hardships that went along with that time in 1842/43. The focus is on the Sager family and their children who are forced to survive on their own after their parents perish on the journey. I would not have watched this without my 7-year-old daughter but because it is based on a true story it held my interest. There weren't any Oscar-winning performances, or even anything that would be that captivating as far as acting skill goes, but if you can overlook that then you'll enjoy the film for what it is. There are no special effects like there are today, but it is a simple movie and doesn't require any. The simplicity is probably a blessing - one of the good things about this is that it is free of any grandiose love scenes. Instead, it is a look at what it might have been like to travel across the country at a pace that is slightly faster than a walk through rain or shine with little shelter, and dealing with things like dysentery and attacks by Indians. This doesn't give a very politically correct view of the native American Indian. But then again, Indians and white men had not even begun to learn to live together in 1843. This movie depicts violent behavior and dialogue that is very condescending toward Indians but I'm sure back in those days the actual dialogue and behavior was just as bad, and probably much worse. Parents should watch this movie with their children so they can teach their children that what they see is inappropriate in our society today.

One thing my daughter noticed was that these people didn't have the kind of recreational outlets that we have today and she asked a lot of questions. So while this is not a mega-movie chock full of stars and oozing with complicated effects, it is a simple and entertaining story of a real family's struggle to stay together. It can also be viewed as a teaching tool.

It was the first time they were Alone, but they were still strong together

[amiranda-39274 · 7/10 · 5 March 2018]

This movie has got to be one of the first movies i ever watched in my life, and it has affected me very much. This movie is so nostalgic to my family and i, that just the number 7, makes us think of this movie. Despite my love for this movie, i will give a fair review. The movie takes place in the 1800s, and it follows the lives of the sager family, as they intend to travel to Oregon, to find their own piece of heaven. The movie is narrated by Catherine , the oldest girl, who wrote a first-hand account of their journey , today it is regarded as one of the most authentic accounts of the American westward migration, despite this Catherine is not the main character and instead her older brother Jon is. The father is a strict but fair man, the mother is very caring but stern woman, the youngest son is hardworking, Catherine, the eldest daughter with a crippled leg acts like a mother to the 4 youngest daughters, especially the adorable baby girl, as for the eldest son, Jon sager, it seems that this movie does everything possible to make you dislike this kid from the very beginning, as he does pranks on his sisters, is seen being lazy and acts like a jerk, you know he deserves every spanking his dad gives him. But this character feels like a real kid and therefore feels relatable , and that's why his character development feels so good, when he becomes the leader of the children. Surprisingly for a family movie, both parents die, this is surprising because both characters are given a fair amount of characterization, and that's why it feels more sad when they both die, leaving 7 orphan children to travel to Oregon on their own. Despite everything being against them, the 7 children decide they want to get to Oregon and find the land their parents died trying to get to, with the only thing to remind them of their parents dream is a box with colored glass window pieces. The movie is mostly a drama, and requires the kids to say a lot of lines, surprisingly all the kids are pretty good actors, but sometimes the direction could have been better and there's just something about the way Jon sagers actor talks that makes him more irritating. All the supporting cast including the parents, do a great job, i especially like Kid Carson's actor. Despite there being little action, the drama can sometimes gets very intense, my personal favorite moments are when the wagon is attacked by Indians, the kids crossing the river, and when their all freezing in the snow. The music really turns up the drama to 11, it make every scene more compelling when the kids are talking, and horrifying when Jon finds their native American scout scalped, the mules death and when his sisters are collapsing in the snow ( i seriously thought one of his sisters was going to die!). But whats really great about this movie is the message, and there are several, first is the will to achieve the American dream and go after what you want, second is when a boy needs to throw away his childish ways and learn to become a proper man and take care of his family. The ending has got to be one of the most endearing movie endings that Ive ever seen, with all the children running toward the parents at their house in Oregon, which i have to assume is in heaven, with the heart-wrenching song " only a dream away" playing in the background. The pacing is good, the music is phenomenal and the story is timeless, safe to say this movie still holds up. This movie was my sisters and my favorite movie as kids because it showed us we could be more independent in trying to accomplish things, but it certainly made us grateful that we had both our parents to take care of us. if you haven't watched this movie, please go watch it.

Interesting tale

[buchser · 5/10 · 2 November 2003]

This film was actually based on a true story of a families adventure on the Oregon trail. It was told to the writer by one of the actual daughters in the turn of the century. It is clearly not politically correct. (Nor was the frontier in 1843.) The family was actually following a structure based on the Bible. The Natives were called Indians and were not happy to see their land being taken, or their game shot. So they fought back, killed and stole what they could. The white settlers were clearly ignorant and it shows. (wow, what a surprise!) That said, my children were clearly entertained (as they were with "Against a crooked sky") A capable cast, most of the children were relatives in real life. No real standouts but fun. The ending was a bit abrupt, I was left wondering, is that it? Filmed on location so it has some nice cinematography.

The Sager Saga

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 29 December 2009]

Based on a true story that eldest Sager daughter played in the film by Debbie Van Orden and narrated in flashback by Anne Seymour, the film is the true account of a family of seven orphans who keep going for Oregon after their parents, Dewey Martin and Anne Collings, both die on the trail, he from blood poisoning and she in childbirth. The baby made seven Sager children and oldest boy Stewart Petersen leads the rest to the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

The Sager's own personal journey is set against the background of the adventures of some other real pioneers and frontier characters such as Kit Carson and missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa Whitman. After the action of Seven Alone is finished, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman were later murdered and their mission destroyed in the Oregon territory. As for Kit Carson his very real exploits needed no embellishing from dime novel writers. Dean Smith plays him in this film and both the Whitman and Carson stories have never really been adequately told on screen.

Young Petersen had a minor career of sorts playing in films that never got any theatrical release in New York where I grew up, but certainly played in drive-ins in red state America. He was a likable young man and gave a sincere performance as the kid determined to realize the dream of his parents.

Seven Alone could have used some better direction, but the Wyoming location scenery is nice and the cast does well in the parts.

Gunk

[inspectors71 · 12 January 2005]

Afte the explosion of sex and violence in movies, even more the twisted amorality of in the late 60's, there was a predictable backlash. By the early 70's, Hollywood had found a market for "nice" stories such as The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie, not to mention a bunch of other knock-offs that failed. This family-oriented counter-revolution extended to film, with Disney putting out lots of cheap, dumb-but-funny Kurt Russell movies and cheaper American International-like studios doing Grizzly-Frontier-Adams-Fremont in the Rockies productions. Some sucked pond water and some were even worse. Maybe the worst I've ever seen is Seven Alone, a story of a flock of 1840's era kiddies fighting their way along the Oregon Trail after their folks die (a blessing if human worth is based on acting ability).

I grabbed this flick off the shelf at the local library, figuring it would be digestible cheese for my family to watch. Sure enough, my wife is enjoying it and my 9-year-old is loving it. Because I'm a pain-in-the-keister critic, I'm bleeding profusely from biting my tongue in order not to turn family movie night into Mystery Science Theatre 3000 with me playing all three parts of the audience. I try to be a good dad.

This is so awful. I feel sorry for Dewey Martin and Aldo Ray, two accomplished and successful actors from the 40's through 60's. They must have been so very desperate for parts that they took the offer to do this hopelessly underfunded, underacted, and badly produced mess.

And yet . . .

There is some small bit of accuracy in this gunk. While another reviewer on this site had a small scale hissy over the movie being politically incorrect in its treatment of American Indians, I remind you that when a principal character refers to the natives as "dirty redskins," that's the least of the insults that were hurled at Indians by Caucasian settlers. They were hated and feared, and to our ancestors, the natives were a pestilence. Doesn't make it right or wrong, just accurate.

My recommendation would be to skip this dull nonsense (even if the book it was based on was a good work of history) and stick with the tasty cheese put out by the Disney dairy. The most you'll get is gas. Seven Alone gave me a splitting headache.

Typical Hollywood Family Fluff Fare

[tggg85 · 5/10 · 6 May 2006]

The film "Seven Alone," demonstrates what happens when a few people in Hollywood fleece some investors to produce a film that ends up being a joke. And, that is rather sad given that the Sager saga was a real story. A real story that exemplified grit and courage in the face of horrible and tragic events in the lives of seven parentless children.

A previous reviewer noted this. A really GOOD film could be made regarding the Sager saga. However, that would take a solid script, good production values, a talented cast, and a better singer than Pat Boone. All of that being said, don't count on a remake. The market for this kind of film evaporated with the death of Michael Landon. Which is even more sad in a way if you think about it.

"...this is a tough country boy, and it's gonna take tough men to make it great."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 2 December 2012]

Wow, there's a lot of vitriol hurled at this film by some of the other reviewers here. I don't see that it's warranted quite frankly. The film demonstrates perseverance, fortitude and a cohesive family spirit once the parents die, leaving the 'seven alone' kids of the title to take up the father's original mission of homesteading a dream in Oregon. Watching the picture from the comfort of one's warm living room may make the story seem far fetched to a lot of viewers, but for the thousands of settlers who headed west in the 1840's, many of the hardships depicted in the picture had to be a concern. The PC police who rail against unfair treatment of Native Americans in the picture obviously missed the scene of the Indian village that accepted the Sager kids and nursed the baby back to health. As far as the acting goes, it appears that the cast of children was selected on the basis of being related to each other rather than passing a screen test. I don't see that that makes the effort any less worthwhile. How about concentrating on the values expressed in the story and admire the Sagers who persevered when all seemed hopeless. That would be a worthwhile takeaway.

Good but dull

[sjwestbrooks · 5/10 · 9 September 2022]

Seven Alone has a very good concept, being based on a true story about family, death, and the Pioneer trail. Its acting is surprisingly professional for an old TV movie. Its music is composed well, even if a couple tracks are replayed a little too many times. It's mainly the story that causes a problem.

The film could've shaved off five, maybe ten minutes if they'd took away a couple "John Sanger's being mean again!" scenes. There are so many of those scenes (plus a couple action scenes that have no impact on the story) that the first half of the movie is a little monotonous. Also, the main character doesn't seem to learn that much during the film. For a few minutes during the second half, he starts being nicer to his siblings, but then, at the very end... he's mean again.

If you have young children/nieces/nephews/siblings who like old movies, this might be a good movie to show them. Otherwise, don't bother.

It will be Six Alone after I kill the oldest boy

[Matthew_Capitano · 6/10 · 16 June 2015]

A pioneer family heads out west. All of them are likable enough except for the oldest boy, John Sager, whom, if I were working on this family's farm, he would be found hanging from the nearest tree by nightfall.

A perennial bully, John Sager isn't worth the stink of the farts he pushes out. His lazy, lying, loathsome presence wouldn't make good fertilizer, but the parents (Dewey Martin and Anne Collings) haven't quite given up on the little sonuvabitch yet.

Other poor souls who must contend with John's evil and hateful self are Billy Shaw (James Griffiths) and Kit Carson (Dean Smith). Most of the children in the film are real-life siblings, but the best actress of these is the non-related little girl, Debbie Van Orden.

Passable family fare. Good performances by Martin, Collings, and Smith.

Rather dreary and depressing, but that's life on the plains.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 4 September 2022]

"I promised Ma and Pop that I keep the family together, and that's what I intend to do." That's what the oldest son of the late Dewey Martin and Ann Colling says as the remaining family members (now led by the barely teenage son) contemplate their future after mom dies. They've already been through several obstacles including the birth of a new baby and attacked by natives (resentful over the loss of their necessary resources from previous wagon trains), and now elders among the wagon train want to control what they're going to do. It's through sudden maturity and determination that Stewart Petersen as the eldest gets the family ready to go out on their own.

Mom Colling didn't want to head west in the first place, but with pretty much everybody else nearby going, it seemed inevitable that they would find out how the west was won. Won, but from whom, and with what costs? This independent adventure is more than just your average western, but outside from the fact that this was based on a true story and the kids were determined to make it, I found this a bit tedious at times and not really very entertaining. It's obviously a religious inspired film with all the bible talk going on, especially with Pat Boone singing the cloying theme song. I've seen better crossing of the country to a new world films, but I guess this is a story that needed to be told. It's just a shame that the film looked rather cheap. Better camera work certainly would have been an improvement.

This is a GREAT movie. Super film for families.

[contact-258 · 10/10 · 3 October 2005]

I have no idea why it is rated so poorly. My whole family was glued to the TV. It was very emotionally moving. Yes, some of the acting may be a bit sub-par, but what an inspiring, invigorating tale. If you've got children, they will love it.

And it's not Just For Children. I'm in my 40's and love films including Pulp Fiction and Fargo, but I was totally engrossed by this tale of seven children who refused to give up on their father's dreams. Near the end, I was close to tears as the story got more and more dramatic.

What makes this story so compelling is that it's based on fact. It's great to have a beautiful story that doesn't rely on huge budgets, phony story lines, expensive technology, and computer graphics. This is old fashioned movie making: based on a good story! Be sure to see if you enjoy wholesome, family oriented, adventure.

Refreshing 1974 Film

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 17 June 2006]

Enjoyed this great 1974 family film, which was so down to earth about everything that happened to people living in the 1840's and their love of the Mid-West and the trip they were willing to take all the way to the Northwestern part of the country. This film starts out with a husband and wife who have six children and are struggling to scratch the surface of the land in Missouri and the husband grows weary of trying to settle in this part of the country. His main concern is going West like most of his neighbors. However, his wife simply does not like the idea at all. Once a decision is made, the story becomes very interesting and at times tragic; another baby is born, increasing the family to seven. This is a very down to earth depiction of how settlers traveled with their families and had great determination and faith in God to lead them to a better way of living in this great land of the United States.

Based on a true story

[bcolquho · 10/10 · 30 December 2005]

I never read the book that this movie's based on. It's about the Sager Party. The father, Henry, the mother Naome, and six children, starting with the oldest son, John, who leave Missouri for Oregon along the Oregon Trail in 1844. At the time they leave, Naome, John's mother, is pregnant with a seventh child. Catherine, born along the way, comes into a world of hardship. Henry dies of blood poisoning in an Indian raid. Naome, the mother, dies of pneumonia. The other members of the wagon train don't want John and his six brothers and sisters in the wagon train and order them to go back to Missouri. All the men in the wagon train regard John as shiftless and lazy. However, John refuses to turn back and is determined to get his family to Oregon. Along the way, they meet Kit Carson, and other historical characters. A couple of reviewers didn't like it. I liked it when it was on TV back in '70s. It should be remembered that back in the '70s, it didn't take very long for movies to make it to television from the movie screen.

Great Family Film!

[ShelbyTMItchell · 9/10 · 27 April 2013]

Really a great family film for the whole entire family. As saw this as an fifth grader at school. Really a touching movie about a family that is wanting to have a really better life over in Oregon.

But things really in the middle get very complicated. As both parents die on the way to Oregon. The father over a blood illness after an Indian attack and the mother from pneumonia.

As the oldest brother John, described as worthless and lazy from not just his father but the other adults on the Oregon trail. As the other people in the wagon train go back to Missouri feeling that going to Oregon is only going to make it worse.

And they do not get or want the kids along with them. As John takes the lead and tries to make the dream a possibility despite butting heads with other siblings. But still, really a good family film!

Absolutely beautiful and historically accurate film...

[lillvalley-87561 · 10/10 · 3 January 2022]

This film is absolutely amazing and historically accurate rendering of the Sagar families trip west. This film was one of my favorites as a child growing up in the 90's despite it being made well before my birth, and it still manages to capture the attention of my own children born well into the 2000's! Please given it a chance and ignore the ignorant comments so many are making about "poor acting, low budget, or this nonsense about it not accurately representing Indians". None of that it true in any shape or form. Yes it is obviously not a trashy contemporary Hollywood film, it was made in 1974 not 2020! However that is part of what makes it a great film, it was not made to fit this new fictitious Hollywood narrative that seems to be extremely popular amongst those poorly informed in American history. Rather than attempting to show the settlers in the worst (fictitious) light possible it shows the reality of both the settlers and their Indian counterparts. Neither party are portrayed as the heroes or the victims, which is the reality of that time period. Fear drove both parties to commit atrocities but kindness and charity also drove both to parties.

Great family movie

[charissewalker · 10/10 · 18 January 2021]

Talk about perseverance! Amazing boy with grit and the trials they endured together. Great movie that can be watched with the family.

The Yawner Party

[Poseidon-3 · 17 August 2004]

Based on a true story (but with certain elements altered to enhance the tribulations and drama), this family-geared film details the ordeal of seven children who must fend for themselves on the way to Oregon when their parents die. Martin and Collings are a farming couple with six children (and another one soon on the way) who decide to head west to the Oregon territory where rich, spacious land awaits anyone who's willing to make the tumultuous trek there. Their oldest son (Petersen) is continuously in one sort of trouble or another from mischievousness to laziness to stupidity. Naturally, it falls to him to care for his siblings when his parents pass away in quick succession. He is determined to reach Oregon and build the home his father always wanted (containing the stained glass windows his mother treasured.) The kids face all varieties of danger from raging rivers to untrustworthy Indians to exposure from wind and snow. A story like this certainly has potential and it gets off to a decent enough start (mostly thanks to the more seasoned acting of Martin and Collings.) Eventually, though, the film turns trite, dull and ridiculous as these tiny kids conquer the old west while adults drop like flies around them (this is NOT how it happened in real life.) Some of the good things about the film include a relatively tense Indian skirmish, an okay musical score and authentic locations. Bad qualities include horribly amateurish acting from the children (most of whom are related in real life), a low budget, awkward direction and an occasionally absurd script. Martin, a bit more weathered than in his heyday, but still attractive, does a decent job as the dad. Oddly, he looks healthiest and most robust when he's about to konk out and die! (His death scene is really bad. It's a shame he didn't check out Shelley Winters in "The Poseidon Adventure" for pointers.) Collings gives a far more solid and assured performance than her scant resume would suggest. She gives the film its small amount of warmth and class. Ray, in a very blustery performance, runs hot and cold as the wagon train's resident doctor. Actor/Stuntman Smith pops up (preposterously) through the film as Kit Carson. The only other performer of note is the reliable character actor Griffith as the children's uncle. There's just enough of a seed of a good idea to demonstrate that this could have been a great movie, but it isn't. It's just OK. Pat Boone sings a treacly song over the credits and has discernible trouble getting to the various notes of the melody.