The Turner Network gives a burnished treatment to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings's children's classic, with generally successful results. With its somber, richly-hued look, this made-for-cable film is no replacement for the 1946 Gregory Peck version, but it stands up surprisingly well to
comparison.
Jody Baxter (Wil Horneff) lives in the Florida Everglades with father Ezra (Peter Strauss) and mother Ory (Jean Smart), who are barely eking out a hardscrabble existence on their family farm in the depths of the Depression. Ezra's bete noire is a legendary grizzly bear named Old Slewfoot. One
day, when he finally gets the bear in his sights, his gun jams and his hunting...
Released:
1994
Rated:
G
Length:
98 mins