Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (1995) User Reviews

A boy's best friend: his dog!

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 26 July 2005]

SPOILER: We stumbled into "Far from Home" by chance. It proved to be a solid entertaining way to spend almost an hour and a half in good company. Phillip Borsos, the director, has to be congratulated for capturing this adventure that shows a boy surviving some of the worst conditions when he is shipwrecked. We would recommend this film to families with children because it shows how a boy forms a bond with his beloved dog under the worst possible circumstances.

The beauty of British Columbia and its rugged scenery serve as the background to this story. A close knit family living in a rural area and loving the outdoors are at the center. When Yellow, the dog that appears at the McCormicks, Katherine and John, the parents, appear reluctant in keeping it. Angus, the teen ager son, sees more than his parents and accepts the challenge, and responsibility in keeping Yellow in check.

When Angus and his father take to the water in John's medium sized vessel, they bring Yellow as well. They encounter rough seas and the ship capsizes. John hangs to the boat, but Angus is separated from his dad. What follows is a parents' worst nightmare. Every effort is made to look for the boy. It takes many days to locate Angus and when he is going to be rescued by a helicopter from the top of a tree that serves as a bridge, Yellow, his beloved dog, loses his balance and falls into a river below. Angus is saddened by the lost of Yellow, but deep inside, he never loses faith. We watch him whistling for the dog, who has responded to the signal before. Throughout the ordeal Angus never loses hope of being reunited with Yellow.

Jesse Bradford, makes a great impression as the resourceful Angus. Bruce Davison and Mimi Rogers are seen as the parents. Ultimately, the trainers of Dakotah, the Yellow dog in the picture, must be congratulated for their skill in making this amazing dog perform some excellent work and its inter action with Jesse Bradford.

A film for all ages, but mostly for young children thanks to Phillip Borsos.

A good, clean family film...

[MovieAddict2016 · 6/10 · 13 February 2004]

Far from Home - The Adventures of Yellow Dog

Despite a rather ridiculous title ("The Adventures of Yellow Dog"?), this winning tale of a 14-year-old boy's bond with a yellow lab will warm your heart. Okay, I'm lying--but it will entertain the kiddies. It's a children's version of "Cast Away" after Jesse Bradford is stranded in a Canadian wilderness with his pet dog, left with only a few items for survival. Really, it's not as bad as it sounds.

1995, PG (violence).

*** / *****

A good family film and a lost gem!

[michaelpatrickhart · 7/10 · 18 February 2005]

Personally this has many memories for me, as I was friends with the editors son when I lived in Vancouver in 1993 and was lucky enough to see it being edited. I still have a cut from the reel somewhere. It brings back many memories, both from seeing the film 1st hand and also from viewing the fantastic scenery of British Columbia which has great childhood memories.

Over all, it's a well shot film with some good long outdoor shots. The story is a little clichéd but what else can you expect from a family film! The dog does an amazingly good job as do the actors. They were only in their early teens when it was shot so I've gotta hand it to them for doing such a good job considering they were the main characters. There are some moments where they the supporting actors lack fluidity in their delivery and let's be honest, the concept isn't ground breaking.

If your looking for a good, well filmed family film look no further. One of the lost gems in film history.

A Simple But Pleasant to Watch Movie

[cairn6 · 18 October 2004]

"Far From Home, the Adventures of Yellowdog" is a very simple film, very much suitable to family viewing. And in this day and age, with bathroom humor and violence very common in family films, it's very nice to see a movie which can hold interest without all that.

The plot line is very simple, you can pretty much figure out the whole storyline by just reading the scene index on the DVD liner, and the acting is very basic. But where the movie truly shines is through local color and cinematography. The sweeping views of the Pacific Northwest shoreline, lush green forests, and amazing wilderness makes a viewer almost be able to breath in the fresh air. The bond between Angus and his Labrador Retriever conveys the message of loyalty and love.

While you won't get a deep storyline or a life lesson like what was conveyed in "Old Yeller"(the original boy-and-big-yellow-dog movie),you will get a pleasant 87 minute adventure away from a sea of bad reality TV, violence, and general stupidity. Worth the $10.00 you will spend on the DVD at Wal*Mart.

a Fantastic Family Film for any Dog Lover

[sandlot1992 · 6/10 · 22 September 2020]

If your a dog lover who's in for a good family film full with adventure as well powerful friendship, this is the movie to see, to share and to watch it with your family over and over again. "Far from Home: the Adventures of Yellow Dog" is probably on of the best family films ever made and of course Philip Borsos' last film until his death came along, the story is really good, the characters are quite unforgettable and the music score sounds mighty epic which sounds like something you hear from a motion picture released in 1940s or 1950s during the era of Hollywood's Golden Age. but of course the chemistry between Angus and Yellow (a Labrador Retriever) is really nice and has some beautiful compared to Bingo and Chuckie Devlin from "Bingo" (1991), touching scenes that will make you cry and even laugh, shot in British Columbia, Canada and yet I recommend this to any dog lover out there who really wants to watch a perfect family/animal movie.

Boy meets dog, Dog and Boy get lost

[buchser · 4/10 · 2 November 2003]

The plot is the standard fare, touched on by quite a few viewers already. Boy meets dog, Dog and Boy get lost in the wilderness, dog and boy get attacked by wolves ( but no bears surprisingly). Good acting but no real standouts, beautiful cinematography ( the film's strongest point) Direction is weak in points, but enough to keep the film flowing. Overall a decent effort. The problem is in the script. This is a young fellow who clearly has some survival skills yet manages to throw them aside at every turn. At one point he has access to a dead deer and a cabin, yet he continues on! Give me a break. Well I suppose you need to keep the suspense in order to have a movie. However some attempt does need to be made to keep things realistic. It is very frustrating to watch a film and constantly have to ask, "now why did he do that!" Well,this film is entertaining enough, but the writer is certainly no Jack London.

Wonderful Family Movie

[roedyg · 9/10 · 22 August 2005]

This is a locally made movie, so my expectations were low. It was a gripping tale. First, the characters were all thoroughly likable, none of the Hollywood cliché petty cruelties and insults. The landscapes are spectacular and menacing. The imaginative use of mixed sound and music gives a heightened sense of reality. Even though I saw it on a relatively small screen, it has much of the emotional impact of IMAX. Of course yellow dog steals the show since she is so sincere. This is not a cute film, but a rather scary tale of getting lost, survival and rescue.

Only in retrospect did I wonder how the climatic scene was done. I still wonder if everyone, including yellow dog risked their necks to shoot it. The natural world dangers in the film were similar to dangers I have lived myself, so they seemed ever so much more frightening than guns and bombs. It would be a bit too frightening for small children.

Even though I knew I was being strongly manipulated by the inevitable happy ending, I could not help myself from bursting into tears.

Predictable adventure yarn

[helpless_dancer · 5/10 · 14 January 2001]

Why can't Hollywood come up with something besides the same old stuff that plays out exactly as you know it will? Every cliche in the "boy lost in the wilderness" tale was brought out, dusted off, and run a little deeper into the turf. This kid was supposed to have had training in the survival arts, but he didn't have a clue as to the first rule when lost...stay put. He just kept walking farther and farther away from his rescuers while mom and pop were at home wringing their hands in agony. Of course, there was another of those idiotic wolf attacks. Enough with the wolf attacks!

Great film

[CBW-2 · 10/10 · 28 April 2000]

There is something quite special about the quietness and subtlety of this beautiful film. I don't think reviewers "got" this film. The setting is spectacular -- British Columbia. My only criticism is that the music is a bit overblown. Quite nice actually by itself, but a little over the top of the story. Nothing however can detract from the vision of the director and the wonderful acting. This film conveyed aspects of my life with childhood friends and family (and the extended family provided by Nature). It seems to say that just beneath the surface of some ordinary lifeforms, there is strength and depth. Yes! That is worth saying. I would love to have seen the film on the big screen. Jesse Bradford is great! I don't think I've seen this kid do one false thing in front of a camera. He plays or embodies youthful promise and that in-between adolescence and adulthood stage like no other actor I've seen. The same expressiveness is in "King of the Hill" -- astonishing really. Oh yeah, and the dog is great too!

Sort of a dull adventure film, not too bad, but definitely more for kids

[Beta_Gallinger · 5/10 · 14 May 2008]

I saw some of this family adventure flick just over twelve years ago, when I was nine years old. I remember finding it pretty exciting at the time, but do not recall seeing the end, even though I don't know what would have stopped me. It wasn't until last year that I finally watched the entire film from start to finish. While I certainly wasn't blown away, I still thought it was at least reasonable, despite being more of a kids' movie, and since I was nine years old (nearly ten) twelve years ago, I obviously wasn't a kid anymore by then. However, watching it a second time was pretty much an average experience.

Angus McCormick is a fourteen-year-old boy who finds a stray Golden Labrador near his home and names him Yellow. Angus soon goes with his father, John, on a sailing trip along the coast of British Columbia and brings Yellow along. Unfortunately, the three of them get caught in a storm, and the boat is tipped over by a giant wave! John is soon rescued, but Angus and Yellow are not found! The fourteen-year-old boy and his dog manage to get to shore in a lifeboat, but are now stranded in the wilderness. Angus' parents, John and Catherine, along with the Coast Guard, attempt to have their son found, while the boy and his recently adopted dog must do what they can to survive, eating what they can, signaling for planes to rescue them, and facing harsh weather conditions and dangerous wildlife!

I'm not 100% sure about the first time I watched "Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog" from start to finish, but the second time, I noticed some attempts at humour that fail (I didn't find any of it even remotely amusing, though kids might), and did find a bit of suspense, but not very much. Also, 81 minutes may not be enough for the details in the story. For example, the film doesn't quite take enough time to introduce the life of Angus and his family before the adventure begins. It starts a bit too soon. They also probably could have thought of a better ending. In other words, I think it's fair to say that the writing is a significant problem in this family adventure.

"Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog" seems to be generally thought of as more of a kids' movie, which I would say is true, but I guess it could impress some adults to a certain extent. However, it also might wear thin with another viewing, which seemed to be the case for me. I'm sure if I had seen the whole thing when I was nine years old, I would have really enjoyed it, more than I ever could over a decade later. When it comes to IMDb standards, this movie doesn't have very many votes or comments, so I guess it's pretty obscure. If I wasn't shown some of the movie back in my childhood, I would probably still be unaware of its existence. So, it may not be the easiest film to find a copy of these days, but if you ask me, it's not worth a hard search, unless maybe if it's for a kid.

Great

[WD423 · 25 March 2002]

I found this to be a most enjoyable little film. The scenery magnificent and the young stars acting I thought most enjoyable. Even the dog was good. Hell it made me want to cuddle my own dogs.

A wee bit sentimental, but whats wrong with sentiment now and again. I can recommend this movie.

Nothing special here, not even for an animal lover like me.

[deloudelouvain · 5/10 · 4 December 2019]

I was only interested in watching this movie because there's a dog in it. That's my weak spot, and most of the time I cry when there are animals involved in a movie. But this time it didn't really work for me, the happy ending you saw it coming from miles away so I was prepared. The story is pretty basic, a typical sunday afternoon family movie. The acting is so-so, nothing exceptionnal here. The amount of bad decisions is the weak spot of the movie, the cinematography the strong spot. Overal it's not that special, certainly not deserving a perfect ten like some other reviewers think.

Beautiful Country good acting by the boy and by the dog.

[jrbynum690 · 10/10 · 15 January 2002]

There should be more of this kind of film. This is one that the family could watch and enjoy. I find the best movies need not to have all of the bad language to make them enjoyable. It may be that someday the film industry may get the message.

SPOILER ALERT - Do not read until after viewing the film.

[novastadler · 2/10 · 22 March 2014]

I was hooked into this low budget film after the boat accident. I also have a lab and was impressed with how well trained "Yellow" was. But I gave it a 2 rating based on it completely jumping the shark at the end. Not only will watching a dog fall 127 feet traumatize your kids, the suspension of disbelief that the dog actually survived with only a broken/hurt leg is asking too much. And to end the film begging viewers to believe "Yellow" swam off the island and walked 149 miles back home is pathetic. Quite frankly, I would have given it a higher rating if it had taken the Old Yeller route instead with the same moral of "the dog makes the ultimate sacrifice by trying to protect the boy who would not have survived to that point if not for the dog." But then, children wouldn't watch it a 2nd time in today's world. For the record, I watched Old Yeller at least a few x every year growing up, and understood why it affected people both positively and negatively (which is what good films should inspire to do).

Incredible Family Film

[jjdoty · 10/10 · 27 February 2012]

Very few films have ever been made that touch the hearts of people from young children to senior citizens. At 60 yrs old, I've seen virtually all of the boy and dog TV Shows & movies from the original Lassie series (1954) to Old Yeller (1957) on through present day. This film beats them all. Don't look for foul language, nudity, or extreme violence that are so prevalent in movies today. This film didn't need them. It is perfect just as it is, standing on it's own with a great story line, acting, cinematography and scoring.

Excellently written. Angus does exactly what a 16 year old kid would do that has reasonable knowledge in survival skills and is lost in the wilderness: He stays put for several days, then afraid he will not be found in that location, he leaves a message where he is headed, then heads off in that direction trying to find his way to the lighthouse he saw before their boat capsized. In the process, he makes several mistakes that any kid his age would make. He tries to stay strong, but has those moments when fear of not making it overtake him.

Jesse Bradford plays the role of the lost 16-year-old boy with impeccable realism, from the wide shots to the extreme closeups that bring the viewer right into his eyes and emotions. The supporting actors, from his parents, to little brother, to rescuers are excellent. They don't attempt to steal the movie, but are incredible as supporting actors.

The cinematography is second to none, sparing no expense to capture the beauty of British Columbia but never missing the intimate, personal actions and close-up emotions of Angus and Yellow Dog.

The music score and ambient background sounds are amazing. If anyone wants to study how a movie of this genre should be scored, this is the movie to study. You can watch the entire movie and never even notice the music or the ambient background sounds. That is the real test of these two areas of film making. They are there to enhance, but not overtake the movie, and that is accomplished in this film.

If you want to watch a film that will touch your heart and that you don't have to be embarrassed by it's content when you have children or parents or grandparents suddenly walk in, this is it.

Terrible Movie if you love animals

[smdsweetfrog · 1/10 · 21 January 2015]

Venting, I watched the end of a movie yesterday (Far From Home - Adventure of Yellow Dog). TERRIBLE Movie & TERRIBLE ENDING!

Everyone that knows me knows I love animals AND people, all souls regardless of the body they're in. The young boy & dog are lost in the wilderness & the dog is helping/caring for the boy 100%. The helicopter drops a rescuer to the log they are on (over a ravine, about 200 ft above water) & grabs the boy & the dog is trying to protect the boy & grabs the pant leg of the rescuer & the rescuer kicks his leg free causing the dog to fall. (The dog doesn't lose his balance.) The dog is a yellow lab like my Pierce. They should have grabbed the dog first, the boy was fine & safe or somehow grabbed both of them. Anyway... So, because the so-called weather doesn't allow the helicopter to go back to rescue the dog, it's left there. OMG!!!! At that time I'm screaming every curse word I know & crying. The boy & family 'seem' to look for the dog (they post Lost Dog pictures up). The boy blows a dog whistle & the dog finds his way home. The end... I'm like, Dog, run the other way to a family that cares! I must have been a Marine in another life, never leave a soul/man behind. I hope rescuers in real life have more heart & that the movie is just a very dumb one. Ugh!!!

Pretty good family adventure

[vchimpanzee · 20 January 2003]

Angus is learning to drive in his father's pickup truck (with comic results), so he must be in his mid-teens. A mysterious dog shows up at his house, and he wants to keep it, but his parents say it must belong to someone. They reluctantly agree to keep the dog at least until its owner is found, if there is one. The dog causes problems and Angus is reminded he must be responsible for the dog. One day the father is making a delivery on the boat CORMORANT, somewhere on the Pacific coast, with Angus and the dog. The weather gets rough unexpectedly, and the boat capsizes. The father is rescued quickly but does not know what happened to his son. Angus and the dog managed to get in a small boat Angus helped build, along with some supplies, and they make it to shore. But the area is very isolated, and even though search planes fly over several times, Angus can't make his presence known. He is there for many days with the dog, but despite his age Angus has learned many survival skills (earlier in the movie Angus and his younger brother camped out in the back yard and we saw the father teach some of these skills; the father also gave Angus a knife that had been given to him by his father) and gets along quite well. After a while the food situation gets so bad Angus even eats some of the cookies his girlfriend Sara made him. The dog helps some, even chasing away wolves and later a bobcat (these were the only scary scenes, but nothing that should bother parents). Angus later starts moving toward civilization. The search team shows signs of giving up, but as in most movies like this, the parents will not let them. This was an okay movie. No standout performances, and nothing to make it better than any other movies like it, but the boy's ability to take care of himself was nothing less than amazing.

Did not like people mistreating animals

[lcarr-81557 · 1/10 · 10 December 2021]

Leaving a family pet to survive alone in wilderness? These people should have been arrested for animal cruelty. I don't recommend this movie to anyone. And they so happy when the poor dog came limping and struggling to come home. Really?

excellent

[avag · 10/10 · 4 April 2002]

All I have to say is that this movie is one of the greatest I have seen. It makes you laugh, cry and feel good. I especially like the bond between Angus (Jesse Bradford)and the dog. Its an unforgettable movie. If you have not seen it yet, go see it.

Far from

[tuliocf · 4/10 · 29 March 2024]

It must be hard work making a movie with animals. The movie has nice scenery and a great dog. The dog is the star of the show, I call him yellow star. He's not old yeller but he's kind of young yeller, lol.

However, there's plenty room for improvement in this Pooch picture, obviously (I'm typing as I'm watching this, sort of, yawn).

Let's just say the movie is playing in the background and I'm thinking about what I'll do later today.

But my dog 🐶 was entertained by it, I think. Or maybe he was barking in anger.

Maybe that's who the target audience is, other dogs! Oh and little children of the 90's.

Spectacular scenery and adventure in this boy and dog story

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 17 September 2012]

Dog owners and lovers need their heroes too. And they have one – more than one – in this movie. "Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog" is unlike any other dog story. For starters, it's not just a boy and dog story. There have been some very good ones of those – "Old Yeller," "Where the Red Fern Grows." Nor is it about humor, mysteries and dog detectives as in the Lassie and Rin Tin Tin serials.

This is also an adventure story, a father-son story, a family story, a survival story and a story about the sea and the wilds. To describe too many details would detract from the enjoyment, so I won't go into the plot. But with all of this, "Far From Home" has some of the most spectacular scenery and cinematography in any movie made from the late 20th century to the present. The setting of the film is along the Pacific Coast of British Columbia – probably Vancouver Island, although it isn't specific.

The ocean and coastal scenes were shot in the Pacific Rim National Park, along the middle coast of Vancouver Island. The island is the largest on the west coast of North America. It stretches 290 miles from South to North and 50 miles at its widest. It covers 12,407 square miles. Vehicle travel to and from the island is by ferries that run between ports on the B.C. mainland and the State of Washington in the U.S. While Victoria, the provincial capital of B.C. is located on the southern tip of the island, and some other towns of size run halfway up the inside passage, most of the land is rugged and heavily forested.

Another key filming location was Hope, B.C., and the nearby Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park. Several movies have been filmed at least in part in Hope since the first Rambo movie with Sylvester Stallone – "First Blood" in 1981. The nearby canyon is where the scene was shot with helicopter gunmen shooting at Stallone. One can imagine that certain shots in "Far From Home" were also filmed there. Hope is a beautiful place to visit. The Fraser River runs by the town, where the Coquihalla River joins it. The nearby canyon park has the Othello Tunnels with very scenic walking trails over an abandoned rail line. Just be sure to visit during July and August – the low rain times. The town gets 75 plus inches of rain a year, and it is often misty, foggy or just plain wet much of the other 10 months of the year.

"Far From Home" is not a kid's movie, but kids of all ages will enjoy it – from 6 to 96.

Okay, but has dead animals and insets and them being eaten, Im vegetarian

[ChrisLFinch · 9/10 · 2 July 2018]

There was a few things that I didn't get why Angus did things like At one point he has access to a dead deer and a cabin, yet he continues on walking, my mom use to say to me if I ever get lost to stay put, and then see will come looking. But Angus just keeps walking farther and farther away from his rescuers while his mom and dad were at home worrying.

I did find The story was a little clichéd but that what I expected with a family Movie. we are shown shots of dead animals and insets and of Angus and yellow eating them which I didn't like, and if you don't know I am a vegetarian. And I found it upsetting. there were some intense scenes which at times i was like fighting to sit down

The plot line is very simple, you can pretty much figure out the whole storyline The bond between Angus and his dog sends a message of loyalty and love. I really liked the dog, yellow and it made me want to cuddle my dogs.

Angus was funny, my fav charter has to be yellow, the dog and Angus they was so cute together and they made a good team and I think there acting was good. I liked that it didn't have strong language, nudity, or extreme violence

im pretty sure I got this movie on video tape when I was little, just when dvds where starting to come out. I had it when my first tooth came out instead of a pound and I really it and I was trying to remember the name of the movie and I was on YouTube and saw the trailer and descried to watch it again. I really liked The landscapes. there was a happy ending, and I couldn't help myself from bursting into tears.

Cute, very cute...

[RosanaBotafogo · 8/10 · 12 October 2022]

While sailing off the coast of British Columbia, John McCormick (Bruce Davison), his son, Angus (Jesse Bradford), and the boy's Labrador, Yellow, encounter harsh weather. When Angus and Jesse are thrown overboard, John struggles to rescue them, but to no avail. After arriving on the coast of a remote and wild region, Angus and his dog do their best to survive, facing the elements and dangerous wildlife as the boy's parents embark on a quest to find them.

Cute and passionate as movies about puppies must be, especially nostalgic, for lovers of the 90s... After that boat accident at first I imagined that a drama would come, but no, it continued to walk the path of cuteness and delicacy, and love sincere between children and animals, all very well seasoned with that dose of adventure that children love... Wait, recalculating route, what a dramatic little film of the boy and his best friend about surviving in the forest 2 without...