A real family (literally) film, as Geer, his daughter, and grandsons star in this simple, occasionally charming story. Geer plays a hermit in the mountainous California woodlands. Ellen Geer is foster mother to Flanders (her real-life son), an autistic boy who gets lost in the forest.
Geer finds him and teaches the supposedly unreachable lad a few things before the rescue party finds the pair. Geer, a fine actor, gives a sensitive performance and overcomes some of the film's inherent sentimentality. The story occasionaly drags, needing some tighter editing. The script was
coauthored by Mackey, a woman noted for her educational film work.
Released:
1974
Rated:
G
Length:
88 mins