What’s the Story?

The McCormick family lives in the Canadian countryside near the coast, where John McCormick (Bruce Davison) runs a supply shipping business. His son Angus (Jesse Bradford) helps him with his work, accompanying him on runs to customers in different ports. Angus knows how to build a boat, he can take it on the water, and he knows how to behave in the wild. All of these skills are tested when John's ship is capsized in a storm and Angus is lost at sea. Luckily, Angus's dog Yellow is with him as they are washed to shore. Angus faces many obstacles, the least of which is fighting hunger and injury, while his parents attempt to rescue him.

Is It Any Good?

With sweeping views of the beautiful Canadian coast and intense wilderness scenes, this tender coming-of-age story is bound to impress viewers of all ages. Where the tale could verge into the melodramatic, the McCormick family exhibits stolid emotional strength in the face of adversity. Moreover, Angus is raised with strict boundaries, which serve him well. When he asks to keep the stray dog that he calls Yellow, his father says, "Angus, this is your dog and it is going to be your responsibility." The following scene shows Angus buying dog food and a dog tag with his hard-earned money. And Yellow proves to be a loyal friend, who saves Angus's life more than once.

The strength of the McCormick family's commitment to doing things correctly could be seen as a moral tale for the times. There are no shortcuts in this film -- and patience and perseverance end up saving lives.

Have you seen it?

Movie Details

Studio

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Director

Phillip Borsos

Cast

Bruce Davison
Jesse Bradford
Mimi Rogers

Genre

Family and Kids

Run time

81 minutes

Theatrical release

3/11/1995

DVD release

3/11/2003

MPAA Rating

PG

MPAA explanation

For Perilous Adventure

For Your Family