Born Free
- Review Date: April 24, 2005
- Rated: PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Release Year: 1966
- Running Time: 95 minutes
Common Sense Media says
Compelling classic nature story with some animal violence.
- Review Date: April 24, 2005
- Rated: PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Release Year: 1966
- Running Time: 95 minutes
What parents need to know
Educational value
Positive role models
Violence & scariness
Sexy stuff
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this heartwarming story about returning a tamed lion to the wild doesn't shy away from showing nature as it is. Lions kill and devour animals frequently and are shot and killed by wardens; Elsa the lion causes an elephant stampede, nearly starves, and is roughed up by other lions; and one lion even kills a human, though only blood in a river is shown. Viewers will enjoy both the love Joy Adamson shows Elsa the lion by setting her free and the beautiful views of Kenya and all its wonderful wildlife.
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Kids say
What's the story?
Joy Adamson and her husband, George, live in Kenya, where George is a game warden. When a lion is reported to be killing villagers, George tracks and kills it, orphaning three cubs in the process. To Joy's delight, George brings the cubs home. Joy feeds them with bottled formula, taking care of them like they're her own children. Elsa, her favorite lioness, is like a big puppy, and goes everywhere with Joy, riding on top of her jeep like the Queen of the Jungle. When the lion cubs are full-grown, they have to be sent to a zoo. Joy tries to keep Elsa as a pet until she causes an elephant stampede. Rather than send Elsa to a zoo, she trains her to live in the wild. Un-domesticating Elsa is difficult, but the Adamsons succeed. Once free, Elsa comes back to visit periodically, bringing her own cubs along.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
Joy Adamson's bestselling book, Born Free, spawned several films and a TV series. This one is the first, and best, of the bunch. Adamson's relationship with Elsa the lioness is captivating from start to finish, and the question of whether a domesticated animal can be returned to the wild is compelling. When the Adamsons first meet young Elsa and her siblings, they're irresistibly big-eyed bundles of fluff. But the adult Elsa is a different kind of beast -- headstrong and stubborn. Growing up underfoot in the Adamson household, Elsa is treated like an overgrown house-pet, and she's often quite funny.
BORN FREE feels authentic; the relationship between Joy and Elsa is developed so well that the film often feels like a documentary. Other scenes of animals in their habitats are thrilling. Although the elephant stampede is a little scary, it's followed by a lighthearted sequence featuring Elsa herding an adorable baby elephant. A 9-year-old viewer was initially reluctant to watch, claiming he didn't like "old" movies, but after one glimpse of the cubs he was hooked. It's hard to watch Joy return Elsa to the wild -- as viewers, we grow as almost attached to the lion as Joy is.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about human responsibility to nature. What makes us good stewards of the Earth? How do we care for the animals and plants around us?
Families can also talk about their favorite nature stories. What makes a movie about animals good? Is it the far-flung places you get to visit or the up-close looks into animal nature or something else entirely?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | June 22, 1966 |
| DVD release date: | January 21, 1997 |
| Cast: | Bill Travers, Geoffrey Keen, Virginia McKenna |
| Director: | James Hill |
| Studio: | Columbia Tristar |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Topics: | Science and nature, Wild animals |
| Run time: | 95 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some wild animal action and brief language |
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QUALITY
Classic yet a movie of its time
The opening scene is a bit startling: women washing clothes in the river with a lion lurking; consequences are deadly. This scene was more upsetting than the elephant stampede noted in the Commonsense review. Other issues: For a woman living in Africa close to nature, Joy's hair is always perfect and she is a woman of her time: persistent maybe, but not at all equal to the men. Men ultimately make all the decisions. Other items date the movie and one should be prepared to discuss for example, why the White Europeans live in modern houses, and are in positions of authority while the Black Africans are in the background-literally. The story moves along quickly-almost too choppy at times. Nevertheless, it is a movie with depth and one can focus children on the complex issues regarding the lions: safety of the zoo versus dangers in the wild with freedom.
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QUALITY
A Truly Magical movie
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much violence
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QUALITY
My six year old says, "I liked the part with the warthog smashing the lion and the lion not doing anything about it."
What other families should know
Too much violence
Educational value
Great role models
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