I recently watched this movie on a Sunny Sunday morning whilst in bed, sounds very ideological, but is true. I must say I do not believe it is all that bad. OK at times the screenplay does stray away from it's original context and the stereotypical WASP family may reinforce unrealistic portrayals of Hollywood, but with this, with a little effort on our behalf, we the audience can allow ourselves to be whisked away into the young boys adventure, out of the harsh realities of life. When analysed, issues of father and son relationships and the transition of boy to manhood become quite clear. Taking into consideration that the film was made nearly ten years ago, I feel it serves importantly as balance between strong realism and fairy tale.
38 Reviews
Best wildlife/nature-based movie seen so far
Mike-DD8 October 1998
Loved the show. The acting was good, considering the ages of the actors involved. Has just the right amount of excitement, family drama, danger and humour. The nature and wildlife shots are just fantastic, and you wonder if the actors are actually in the same shots as the animals, or if it's just a brilliant camera trick. Take the part in the bears' cave - I know I wouldn't stand up to having so many bears roaring all around me with no visible route of escape. Panoramic shots of the natural world makes you just wanna get into your 4WD and take a 3 month hiatus to tour the countryside. Touching moments at the end when the normally practical-minded father applauded his son's efforts at nature-based film-making and gave them his support instead of the initial discouragement. Great movie round and round. If I had the money and the time, I'd go on trip like that too. That's how good it is.
Based on a true story
ractajeno24 January 2009
I started making VHS tapes of Marty Stouffer's Wild America TV show as a young adult. Back then, the series was aired on the local PBS station. It became one of the shows I was most glad to support with my PBS membership.
If you liked the TV series as much as I, you will no doubt enjoy this movie about Marty and his brothers as well. Mark Stouffer worked with Marty on the TV series as an assistant director and Marty's wife and kids shared the spotlight with Marty at times as well. Mark has also done work on other television shows including some that have ties to nature like Wild America.
If you liked the TV series as much as I, you will no doubt enjoy this movie about Marty and his brothers as well. Mark Stouffer worked with Marty on the TV series as an assistant director and Marty's wife and kids shared the spotlight with Marty at times as well. Mark has also done work on other television shows including some that have ties to nature like Wild America.
I enjoyed this.
marcfantozzi14 March 2001
I thought this flick was great fun. I thought the acting was pretty decent and not as bad as other people say. Sure, the three leads are all teen idols, but I am not going to knock their performances because of that. Still, I continue to enjoy this flick, and always will
Don't expect a teenage version of "The Edge"
Wuchakk5 February 2017
Released in 1997 and directed by William Dear, "Wild America" is a family adventure about three Arkansas brothers in the late 60s, Marshall, Marty and Mark Stouffer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Scott Bairstow and Devon Sawa respectively), who dream of becoming nature filmmakers. Their dream comes true when their parents (Jamey Sheridan and Frances Fisher) allow them to travel America, filming alligators, moose, grizzly bears and more. Don Stroud, Tracey Walter, Zack Ward and Claudia Stedelin have peripheral roles.
The movie's based on the true-life story of the brothers who went on to become big-time nature photographers, particularly Marty Stouffer, who directed the Wild America TV series (I even have a couple of those VHS tapes somewhere). The movie was released two months before the excellent "The Edge" was released, but don't expect anything within the realm of quality as that movie. Don't get me wrong, there is some good in "Wild America," it's just offset by the BAD.
The good includes an effective cast and stellar locations, not to mention a glorified cameo by an actor whom I'm not going to name, but he was a fairly big-time actor at the time. There's also some quality animal photography. Unfortunately, the kinks weren't worked out in the script. For instance, near the end the youngest brother has some mature dialogue that no kid his age would ever speak (both my wife and I thought this). Furthermore, the story has no narrative drive and so when the plane sequence occurs in the third act it's simply not moving or believable (although I enjoyed the sky photography). Speaking of unbelievable, there are three animal sequences that utterly destroy any suspension of disbelief: The moose sequence, the snake scene and, the worst, the entire bear cave episode, which almost single-handedly ruins the movie. Then there's the boys' film that was shown at their school. While this may have really happened I can guarantee you that the film looked nothing like what is shown.
Bottom Line: "Wild America" might be good for pubescent girls who are fond of the teenage protagonists and entertained by the fun antics, but adults will be turned-off by the lack of story drive and realism.
The film runs 106 minutes and was shot in South Carolina (Jasper County), Georgia (Rincon & Tybee Island), Arkansas (Fort Smith), Utah (Monument Valley), Arizona (Sedona) and Alberta, Canada.
GRADE: C-
The movie's based on the true-life story of the brothers who went on to become big-time nature photographers, particularly Marty Stouffer, who directed the Wild America TV series (I even have a couple of those VHS tapes somewhere). The movie was released two months before the excellent "The Edge" was released, but don't expect anything within the realm of quality as that movie. Don't get me wrong, there is some good in "Wild America," it's just offset by the BAD.
The good includes an effective cast and stellar locations, not to mention a glorified cameo by an actor whom I'm not going to name, but he was a fairly big-time actor at the time. There's also some quality animal photography. Unfortunately, the kinks weren't worked out in the script. For instance, near the end the youngest brother has some mature dialogue that no kid his age would ever speak (both my wife and I thought this). Furthermore, the story has no narrative drive and so when the plane sequence occurs in the third act it's simply not moving or believable (although I enjoyed the sky photography). Speaking of unbelievable, there are three animal sequences that utterly destroy any suspension of disbelief: The moose sequence, the snake scene and, the worst, the entire bear cave episode, which almost single-handedly ruins the movie. Then there's the boys' film that was shown at their school. While this may have really happened I can guarantee you that the film looked nothing like what is shown.
Bottom Line: "Wild America" might be good for pubescent girls who are fond of the teenage protagonists and entertained by the fun antics, but adults will be turned-off by the lack of story drive and realism.
The film runs 106 minutes and was shot in South Carolina (Jasper County), Georgia (Rincon & Tybee Island), Arkansas (Fort Smith), Utah (Monument Valley), Arizona (Sedona) and Alberta, Canada.
GRADE: C-
I still love this movie...
PopRox91396 September 2003
When I heard that Jonathan Taylor Thomas was doing a movie with Devon Sawa at the height of my teenybopper stage, needless to say I was excited. The weird thing is that I still love this movie now. The plot follows the three Stouffer brothers, Marty, Mark, and Marshall, following their dreams to get out of their small town and dead-end future as mechanics and go out and film animals. Not just any animals, though, the "biggest bad-a**es of the animal kingdom," which results in a few thrilling, sometimes comic adventures for the three brothers. The brothers want the piece de resistance of their film to be an infamous cave where a group of bears are reputed to sleep together, the rumor that actually starts their trip and leads to the biggest adventure of all. This movie is full of hope that dreams can come true, as cheesy as that sounds, and is even better as it is a true story based on the naturalists behind Wild America. Great shots of animals, as well (not counting fake bear suits).
Three Brothers, Fart Jokes, and a Horse In A Moose Suit
magoomj10 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Decent entertainment for kids and teen girls with no taste...definitely not true to life and quite a few plot holes. For a movie about animals the filmmakers sure didn't do much research on what animals in the wild do and DO NOT do. Some hugely glaring errors (the entire moose scene for one; the timeline for another - bears are not going to be hibernating at the same time a moose calf is that young) made it tough to watch at times. I have a hard time believing that a Stouffer brother actually signed off on this movie.
Good clean family fun, and pretty funny
wp-859-2249851 October 2010
I believe in grading movies on a curve. This one is not in the same class as Citizen Kane or Fargo or Some Like It Hot. Instead this is a low-budget and somewhat corny—okay, pretty corny—family film like, oh, Because of Winn-Dixie. And graded on the curve appropriate for that class, this is at least an 8 out of 10. I'll be honest, my wife is the one who ordered this from Netflix and I didn't want to see it. I had Gosford Park in the DVD tray ready to go. But my wife thought our 15-year old would enjoy Wild America more, and our daughter agreed. I was outnumbered. So we watched this film.
I didn't know anything about it. We were a good 10 minutes or more into the film before I put the family's last name (Stouffer) together with the first name of the oldest son (Marty) and realized, "Hey, I know who this kid is: It's Marty Stouffer of..." D'oh.
Anyway, I expect that the real adventures of the real Marty and his brothers weren't quite as colorful as those of the characters in the film. But there were a good combination of excitement (and from some unlikely sources, like F-14 jets dropping bombs) and genuine humor. I laughed hard again and again.
Special effects? Well, I'll just say, it ain't Jurassic Park. I think the animal props were rented from a budget prop store in Atlanta. But it didn't matter. I enjoyed the film a lot. Do what I did, get some fresh hot pizza, sit back with your spouse and a kid or two, and enjoy it yourself.
I didn't know anything about it. We were a good 10 minutes or more into the film before I put the family's last name (Stouffer) together with the first name of the oldest son (Marty) and realized, "Hey, I know who this kid is: It's Marty Stouffer of..." D'oh.
Anyway, I expect that the real adventures of the real Marty and his brothers weren't quite as colorful as those of the characters in the film. But there were a good combination of excitement (and from some unlikely sources, like F-14 jets dropping bombs) and genuine humor. I laughed hard again and again.
Special effects? Well, I'll just say, it ain't Jurassic Park. I think the animal props were rented from a budget prop store in Atlanta. But it didn't matter. I enjoyed the film a lot. Do what I did, get some fresh hot pizza, sit back with your spouse and a kid or two, and enjoy it yourself.
Pretty Darned Bad
FiendishDramaturgy31 May 2007
This was done towards the end of Jonathan Taylor Thomas's "cute" years, and was probably around the end of his childhood career. After this dreck, I can only hope he has spent the last 10 years concentrating on his education, and perhaps he can arrange a come back in his late twenties.
Otherwise, this film still offers few redeeming qualities, and little to no entertainment value.
Three brothers journey into the wilderness to help Marty initiate his nature film-making career. Sounds mildly interesting, doesn't it? Let me be the one to warn you, it is not. The "fun" scenes herein are the most idiotic form of popular tripe, and the suspension of belief required here is wholly impossible. This is just terrible.
Aside from a few good vistas, some nice camera angles, and a strong bit part by Danny Glover, there isn't really any reason to bother with this one.
It rates a 1.7/10 from...
the Fiend :.
Otherwise, this film still offers few redeeming qualities, and little to no entertainment value.
Three brothers journey into the wilderness to help Marty initiate his nature film-making career. Sounds mildly interesting, doesn't it? Let me be the one to warn you, it is not. The "fun" scenes herein are the most idiotic form of popular tripe, and the suspension of belief required here is wholly impossible. This is just terrible.
Aside from a few good vistas, some nice camera angles, and a strong bit part by Danny Glover, there isn't really any reason to bother with this one.
It rates a 1.7/10 from...
the Fiend :.
Really, it's not that bad!
musicnina12 November 2002
Despite the three young actors being "teen idols," they pulled off really good chemistry throughout the film. My primary faults with the film are not with the acting at all, but with the screenplay. Because of the writer's desire to put everything possible into one movie, he sabotaged its overall effectiveness. Is this a classic teen idol flick? Is it a nature film? Is it comedy/drama/action? It's really hard to say, as it doesn't succeed as any of the above! There are too many side-plots -- does the owl really need to be there? Or Leon? Or the man in the mountain? There are too many relationships given just a hint of substance, such as that with Mom, the town bully, the local girls, the college girls... In addition, Mark's character has little opportunity to develop, and the other boys leave a great deal to the imagination. And I ask you, is it necessary for Marshall to have three different nicknames? This is, unfortunately, one more movie that could have been really great. As it is, it is a fun film without enough substance.
On a side note, is there any particular reason that only one of the Stouffer brothers was involved in producing the show? I find that a little odd, myself.
On a side note, is there any particular reason that only one of the Stouffer brothers was involved in producing the show? I find that a little odd, myself.
Not So Wild America.
anaconda-4065821 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Wild America (1997): Dir: William Dear / Cast: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Devon Sawa, Scott Bairstow, Tracey Walter, Frances Fisher: Idiotic contraption regarding the enthusiasm these kids have towards American wildlife where they foolishly put their lives on the line due to contrived plot details. They purchase a camera and are granted the rest of the summer to shoot wildlife. They are nearly eaten by an alligator, encounter sleeping bears in a cave for which they sing back to sleep after a near tragedy, one of them rides the antlers of a moose in a totally stupid sequence. One of them injures his leg during a squabble. Yet this is suppose to be family entertainment. Director William Dear displays more skill than the cast, and he does deliver on great shots of wildlife. Jonathan Taylor Thomas is the film's star who, in opening scenes, allows himself to be part of stupid stunts that no kid needs to be encouraged to participate in. He is joined by Devon Sawa and Scott Bairstow and together they prove to have more guts than brains. Tracy Walter is featured among the locals as well as the stereotypical strict father who learns to lighten up and encourage his children to get eaten by animals. Parents like this really need to be educated on the dangers of wild animals and the potential for curios kids to wind up as lunch. Its wildlife message is side tracked by idiocy leaving it as nothing to go wild over. Score: 3 / 10
It's a fun quirky and entertaining movie.
hootowl-631831 January 2021
I certainly don't have the credentials to analyze screenplays or actors performances. I'm just a ordinary guy who enjoyed this movie immensely. I will say this about anyone who doesn't enjoy this movie... I don't think I'd like having a beer them. Watch the movie, it's pretty darn good in my book. :)
This movie is DREADFUL
benkrom30 August 2004
This movie is HORRIBLY made. I don't know how low a budget this movie has,
but it looks low. Hard ice is made of sheet plastic and when it tears, looks like sheet plastic, with frayed edges. I have yet in my life to see ice with frayed edges. The acting? Let's see: formula for a good movie....1) hire the worst of the 3 sons on "Home Improvement", (2) hire the most inexperienced screenwriters
you can find (David Michael Wieger has written nothing but this movie--check
him out) and (3) the most incompetent director--his career highlight being the amazing "Harry and the Hendersons".
The only reason I watched this movie was at the request of my two incredibly
theatrically unknowledged roommates. Boy, I wish I had my night back.
but it looks low. Hard ice is made of sheet plastic and when it tears, looks like sheet plastic, with frayed edges. I have yet in my life to see ice with frayed edges. The acting? Let's see: formula for a good movie....1) hire the worst of the 3 sons on "Home Improvement", (2) hire the most inexperienced screenwriters
you can find (David Michael Wieger has written nothing but this movie--check
him out) and (3) the most incompetent director--his career highlight being the amazing "Harry and the Hendersons".
The only reason I watched this movie was at the request of my two incredibly
theatrically unknowledged roommates. Boy, I wish I had my night back.
loved it!
ldougherty-117 September 2006
I give this movie a 9 out of 10! I can't believe this movie didn't make hardly any money cause it sure was good. Whenever I am in the mood to watch a movie, it is always Wild America. I don't know what it is about this movie but it is just exciting, adventurous, funny, and action packed all rolled up into one. Scott Bairstow, Devon Sawa, and Johnathan Taylor Thomas were great in this movie. I recommend it to anyone all ages. I first saw it when I was about 5 years old and I fell in love with it. Since then it has been one of the family favorites and we watch it all the time. We are a big movie family so we watch movies every single night together. We've seen this one at least 50 times.
Waste of time
MovieHead12324 March 2018
I wanted to watch it because it's one of the very few 90's films that I have never seen. I like to share my childhood with my daughter, so I thought, "A 90's movie not even I'VE seen before... It'll be nice to watch it with Alize". Boy, was I wrong. This movie was a complete waste of time. Our movie night, ruined. Jonathan Taylor Thomas was an amazing child actor. This movie is beneath him. And his brother who played Casper in the original Casper film... I've always loved him. Good actors, stupid movie. Doesn't deserve the score it has on IMDb. This movie is a 2, maybe 3, tops, but only because of the good actors. However, no matter how good of actors there are in this movie, not one of them was convincing. I don't blame them though. The movie doesn't know which direction it's going, whether it's drama, comedy, coming of age, etc. It's overly dramatic, and the characters have random outbursts. Reminds me of a Spanish soap opera, a "telenovala". Being that this movie was based on a true story, I wonder how the real brothers felt about the movie and how their characters were portrayed. Let's just say, I wouldn't be a happy camper if that were me.
Something To Remember
sharansrinivas-g5 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Okay.. So, this is my first review without a spoiler. It's because I watched a Nat.Geo documentary called Wild America in 1998 in my 5th grade classroom and wanted to watch it at home. Unfortunately my dad got the VHS of the movie called Wild America and I had no choice but to watch it. But, I was delighted as the youngest kid in the film was at that time my age and I could really connect some events. Yes, there are some immature moments in the film and it is heavily relied on the fact that this film is pure fiction as no parent would allow their kids to go on an expedition.
Now, I have watched thousands of movies and I know that watching a movie like this would make you twitch as you've seen better. But, this movie is meant to be seen at the appropriate age -- the early teen years. There's no way you can really enjoy it unless you see it at that time. I don't know if I will enjoy this if I watch it now. But, as my title reads, I will remember this film as one that I watched when I was young and innocent, because that's what the movie's characters are, young and innocent.
Now, I have watched thousands of movies and I know that watching a movie like this would make you twitch as you've seen better. But, this movie is meant to be seen at the appropriate age -- the early teen years. There's no way you can really enjoy it unless you see it at that time. I don't know if I will enjoy this if I watch it now. But, as my title reads, I will remember this film as one that I watched when I was young and innocent, because that's what the movie's characters are, young and innocent.
Inflated Adventure
DJ_Shilo1 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
"Wild America" is supposed to be a family-friendly movie set in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in the summer of 1967, and it becomes an exercise in futility with an unanchored story when one of them gets the hair-brained idea to leave home to shoot wildlife videos. Based on the life of the Stouffer family, I doubt anything in this movie actually happened. The teenage trio Marshall (Johnathon Taylor Thomas,) Mark (Devon Sawa,) and Marty (Scott Bairstow) convince their strict father, Marty Sr. (James Sheridan,) and opportunistic Mother, Agnes (Francis Fisher), to let them set out, on an adventure that takes through one slogging stupid scene after another.
Johnathon Taylor Thomas narrates the story of life on a farm in their town where adventure seems to be limitless. Their father is a carburetor salesman, who has a strict hold over his sons and their mum, takes in animals and fights to have her say. Marty doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, and his father sees his son's ideas as "not paying the bills." Of course, he's going to be proven wrong in the end, but the problem is that we are not because it feels like a scripted story that we are supposed to believe happened, and it becomes clear that it didn't when Taylor Thomas rides on the antlers of a Moose.
Their days consist of putting their younger brother, Marshall through, increasingly dangerous stunts involving chairs and a pool of water so they can capture what they see as cutting-edge danger. Marty convinces Mark to go on the adventure when they discover a movie camera in the shop where they get their film developed. Their father staunchly says, "It's not happening!" and, no surprise, he relents in the next scene, and they set off in a 1957 GMC suburban, with Marshall stowing away.
They set off on their adventure, with their endgame being to find a cave of hibernating Grizzly Bears. The series of events they go through to get there is an excuse for attempts to set up dumb and dangerous scenarios that are unbelievable, including the one with the Moose. Their mother finds out Marshall is with them and seems to be okay with the fact that her fifteen-year-old son, is going to put himself in dangerous situations as long as his brothers take care of him. Think about that!
They find themselves in a swamp and in an attempt for director William Dear to create suspense with a spooky atmosphere, which works. What doesn't work, is the preposterous attempt to retrieve something from a tree, and one of the brothers comes face to face with an alligator. These are the dangerous situations that make the movie bogus because we know these teenagers are not going to get eaten, and whatever danger they find themselves in, they will get out of it because the script says so.
One of the stupidest scenes occurs when they drive onto a US bomb site, by accident, because they, are told it's "The Devil's Playground," and begin filming a wolf. A series of F-4 Phantoms fly over, spot the boys and start firing missiles at them, leading to a series of explosions in an attempt for the director to heighten the tension. A herd of wild Horses comes charging towards them. They make it to the truck, of course, they do, just in time to get the camera rolling even though, they almost got blown up and trampled. These teenagers don't see the danger in what they put themselves in, and I didn't buy it.
Danny Glover appears in the film as a strange man who saves Marshall from a waterfall after a Moose carries him off, and he tells the brothers they are getting closer to the cave, never to be seen again. On the way, they meet a woman whose husband was killed by the Bears. She tries to tell them it's a bad idea but, they don't listen, and they find the cave set up like something out of a horror movie complete with rattlesnakes guarding the entrance. The bears look like giant stuffed animals, and it's hard to take seriously when the movie explains they are in the "high country," which explains why there is snow on the ground, and the bears, are awoken from their slumber in the summertime to snarl and try to attack them.
"Wild America" means well and has some interesting shots of wildlife footage, and the three leads do an okay job. But the story is so phony, with them in preposterous danger. One of the dumbest scenes involves one of the boys breaking his leg, and in the next scene, he is hobbling on a crutch into the cave. Taylor Thomas flies a plane in the movie's final scenes. What does that tell you? Everything comes up short for an inflated adventure that doesn't feel real at any given time.
3/10.
Johnathon Taylor Thomas narrates the story of life on a farm in their town where adventure seems to be limitless. Their father is a carburetor salesman, who has a strict hold over his sons and their mum, takes in animals and fights to have her say. Marty doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, and his father sees his son's ideas as "not paying the bills." Of course, he's going to be proven wrong in the end, but the problem is that we are not because it feels like a scripted story that we are supposed to believe happened, and it becomes clear that it didn't when Taylor Thomas rides on the antlers of a Moose.
Their days consist of putting their younger brother, Marshall through, increasingly dangerous stunts involving chairs and a pool of water so they can capture what they see as cutting-edge danger. Marty convinces Mark to go on the adventure when they discover a movie camera in the shop where they get their film developed. Their father staunchly says, "It's not happening!" and, no surprise, he relents in the next scene, and they set off in a 1957 GMC suburban, with Marshall stowing away.
They set off on their adventure, with their endgame being to find a cave of hibernating Grizzly Bears. The series of events they go through to get there is an excuse for attempts to set up dumb and dangerous scenarios that are unbelievable, including the one with the Moose. Their mother finds out Marshall is with them and seems to be okay with the fact that her fifteen-year-old son, is going to put himself in dangerous situations as long as his brothers take care of him. Think about that!
They find themselves in a swamp and in an attempt for director William Dear to create suspense with a spooky atmosphere, which works. What doesn't work, is the preposterous attempt to retrieve something from a tree, and one of the brothers comes face to face with an alligator. These are the dangerous situations that make the movie bogus because we know these teenagers are not going to get eaten, and whatever danger they find themselves in, they will get out of it because the script says so.
One of the stupidest scenes occurs when they drive onto a US bomb site, by accident, because they, are told it's "The Devil's Playground," and begin filming a wolf. A series of F-4 Phantoms fly over, spot the boys and start firing missiles at them, leading to a series of explosions in an attempt for the director to heighten the tension. A herd of wild Horses comes charging towards them. They make it to the truck, of course, they do, just in time to get the camera rolling even though, they almost got blown up and trampled. These teenagers don't see the danger in what they put themselves in, and I didn't buy it.
Danny Glover appears in the film as a strange man who saves Marshall from a waterfall after a Moose carries him off, and he tells the brothers they are getting closer to the cave, never to be seen again. On the way, they meet a woman whose husband was killed by the Bears. She tries to tell them it's a bad idea but, they don't listen, and they find the cave set up like something out of a horror movie complete with rattlesnakes guarding the entrance. The bears look like giant stuffed animals, and it's hard to take seriously when the movie explains they are in the "high country," which explains why there is snow on the ground, and the bears, are awoken from their slumber in the summertime to snarl and try to attack them.
"Wild America" means well and has some interesting shots of wildlife footage, and the three leads do an okay job. But the story is so phony, with them in preposterous danger. One of the dumbest scenes involves one of the boys breaking his leg, and in the next scene, he is hobbling on a crutch into the cave. Taylor Thomas flies a plane in the movie's final scenes. What does that tell you? Everything comes up short for an inflated adventure that doesn't feel real at any given time.
3/10.
Nice Story
Sweet_E5 July 2004
The movie was nice, no more, no less. The acting was fine and the plot was good enough. This movie is probably best for teenage girls who like blond boys. I think that people can relate to the Stouffers brothers: Sweet, quiet, animal loving Marshall (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), who narrates and is the epitome of a young boy; Girl crazy Mark (Devon Sawa); or Marty (Scott Bairstow), the older, most mature of the group who loves filming.
Better movies exist, but worse ones do as well. Although I don't recommend this movie to those who want something great, I encourage everyone to decide for themselves.
Better movies exist, but worse ones do as well. Although I don't recommend this movie to those who want something great, I encourage everyone to decide for themselves.
Deserves to be Remade.
kmkraft19 February 2024
The concept of this film is great. The execution showed promise in the first quarter. But, although this is "based on the real-life story of. Documentarian Marty Stouffer, some of the protagonists experiences revealed themselves to be entirely impossible or, at best, unrealistic. The characters additionally showed themselves to be either stupid or entirely thoughtless, which affected my sympathy for them. Beginning with their encounter with moose to their encounter with hibernating bears in a cave, I just guffawed at the ridiculousness of the situations. The terrible creature effects were somewhat forgivable given the time and budget. I just could not take this film seriously. It insulted my intelligence, quite frankly. As a filmmaker, I would be interested in seeing this movie remade. The plot and situation have a good foundation.
A realistic inspiration.
digitalangel132 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Wild America is the story of three brothers, two of whom want to make a film depicting wild life all over America.
The story focuses mainly on the youngest brother Marshall who sneaks into his brothers' car in order to go with them on their trip. While on the road with his brothers Marshall learns more about who he really is and what the real world is all about.
In my opinion the thing that makes Wild America such an amazing movie is the that not only does it have the action of the animal scenes and the heartwarming tale of a child who is coming of age. But it's a true story that we can all relate to. It shows us that no matter what anyone tells you, you can go out into the world and find what you're looking for. That's where the real inspiration lies.
The story focuses mainly on the youngest brother Marshall who sneaks into his brothers' car in order to go with them on their trip. While on the road with his brothers Marshall learns more about who he really is and what the real world is all about.
In my opinion the thing that makes Wild America such an amazing movie is the that not only does it have the action of the animal scenes and the heartwarming tale of a child who is coming of age. But it's a true story that we can all relate to. It shows us that no matter what anyone tells you, you can go out into the world and find what you're looking for. That's where the real inspiration lies.
Wild America
paula12245231 March 2007
Although this is an old movie, I just saw it on television for the first time. It is a great Saturday afternoon movie to watch with kids. I didn't remember Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Weiss) in any other shows, but he has a very commanding presence on screen. The director really knew how capture his very cherub face with his captivating blond hair and haunting blue eyes.For a while I was just mesmerized watching how he moved throughout the film. I could actually 'see' his maturity and growth as he encountered many antics with his brothers. It was very believable and the theme is definitely something I would encourage my students to evaluate and analyze as their own lives reflect some of the same things these young men experienced. It had action, adventure, love and caring parents -for once! The family structure was secure and I was happy to see that. Our kids see so much violence and family destruction- they need to see something positive. I will definitely add this one to my list of videos my students can watch.
Terrific!
moviecritichank-74 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Wild America is a great movie! It is the story of three brothers, Marshall (Johnathan Taylor Thomas), Mark (Devon Sawa), and Marty Stouffer (Scott Bairstow) who go on the road in various locations across America putting their lives in danger as they learn to depend and trust each other while filming endangered wildlife with the dreams of becoming nature filmmakers. All kinds of animals are filmed in this movie from alligators, wolves, deer, wild horses, moose, a cave of raging grizzly bears and more! I saw a little bit of this when it aired on WGN one Saturday afternoon and the parts I saw made me want to watch the whole movie. I first saw the whole movie on Encore Wam about two months ago and I loved it. Since then, it has become one of my favorite movies. I don't have this one yet, but I hope to get it soon. If you're looking for adventure, action, love nature, or you need a movie to watch with the whole family, I highly recommend this. This is not a Disney movie; it is from Warner Bros., so just to warn you, there is some language in this film despite its PG rating. Rating for Wild America: 10/10!
It is very funny.
aaron_fan200227 August 2001
I saw this film for the first time yesterday, and I must say that I love it, it is so funny but then at the same time so serious.
I really like the fact that it has many very famous actors in it. I really recommend this film to anyone.
I really like the fact that it has many very famous actors in it. I really recommend this film to anyone.
Awesome family movie depicting one of America's best loved filmographer!
justajarofclay6 April 2009
This movie is an absolute classic! It's Disney at its best for the wild at heart it is timeless. The relationship between the brothers makes the movie. Each character is beautifully woven and "real".
Inspired by imperfect but truly loving and good old American idealist parents, the boys leap out of the nest and clamor after their own dreams. It rings true to any wise parent, who knows that someday they will have to let go. Great movie for the whole family! A beautiful story of family ties, courage, perseverance and imperfect but admirable characters who each learn their very own lesson. It truly captures the essence of true American spirit! Watch for - The real Stouffer brothers who have cameos in the film as three "uncredited" ruffians (in the scene where the boys are driving to snow country).
Inspired by imperfect but truly loving and good old American idealist parents, the boys leap out of the nest and clamor after their own dreams. It rings true to any wise parent, who knows that someday they will have to let go. Great movie for the whole family! A beautiful story of family ties, courage, perseverance and imperfect but admirable characters who each learn their very own lesson. It truly captures the essence of true American spirit! Watch for - The real Stouffer brothers who have cameos in the film as three "uncredited" ruffians (in the scene where the boys are driving to snow country).
I can watch this movie over and over!!
brittybritt63123 September 2006
This movie was very good!! Jonathan Taylor Thomas is why i decided to see to it!! And to my surprise it was very good!! That is why my family bought!! If your a JTT fan you will love it and if your not it is still an good movie!! The movie is about three brothers in the 60s achieving their dreams!! IT is based on a true story but they do all this wild stuff it is hard to believe this actually happen!!! This is perfect for a movie night!!! They go to so many places and do all this stuff you probably wont want to get up for a bathroom break!! IT has humor, adventure, and a pretty good story for the little ones!! When you are at blockbuster or something and your out of ideas you should try Wild America if your seeking adventure!!!!
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