I was so happy Positiv finally stopped showing this movie. It didn't have repeat viewing value. Once was enough for me, and I didn't even make it to the end. One of the other times it was on, I turned to the channel when it was nearing the end - the scene with the bear trying to make its way into the cabin - and the characters' screaming and hollering was getting on my nerves. People must've been heavily medicated in the 70s if this was popular. The movie opens with a man named Skip Johnson (Robert F. Logan). He lives in LA and feels like he's drowning in the smog and other pollution, so he moves his wife Pat (Susan Damante Shaw) and kids Toby (Ham Larsen) and Jenny (Hollye Holmes), who is asthmatic, to the Colorado wilderness. The beginning seemed rushed, in my opinion. We go from Skip driving through LA with his wife and kids, having a conversation with her about how he's tired of living in the city and wants to move someplace with clean, fresh air, to all of the sudden, they're surrounded by forests and mountains. From that point on, the rest of the story is fanciful depictions of rustic living. It's a new experience for them, but yet, they don't struggle all that much. They have some challenges, but for the most part, their days are filled with laughter and relaxation. I don't know, maybe I'm overanalyzing, but I would expect city dwellers who uproot their life and transfer to an isolated area to be at least somewhat stressed out over the change. Moving is a huge adjustment, especially for children. And where this family moved, there's literally nothing around them. How far are they from grocery stores, schools (how are the kids receiving their education? Are they being homeschooled? None of that was ever mentioned), hospitals? We also don't know the father's source of income. The family's overly positive attitude just wasn't realistic for their environment. And there was too much overacting, from both the child and adult actors. None of them got into character convincingly. It was like they had awareness they were acting, and that made it feel awkward for me as the viewer. If you ignore the plot holes (not conducting research before moving, Skip's proficient survivalist skills, the kids loving their new home, despite having no electricity, indoor plumbing, or social contact), it's an enjoyable movie. As for me, I don't like watching stuff that's illogical. I would definitely recommend skipping this one. If you're a parent and you're looking for something to watch as a family, your kids might get bored.
