Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain

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Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain is an adventure movie with themes of alcoholism and abuse, and some peril. The movie stars Christina Ricci and Anna Chlumsky as two 13-year-old girls, Beth and Jody, who set off looking for gold long buried inside a Washington state mountain. While the friendship between the two girls is central to the story, they also find themselves in a number of perilous situations. This includes one of them being pinned under falling rocks, while an encounter with a bear also raises the stakes momentarily. Jody's mom, Lynette (Diana Scarwid), is in an abusive relationship. She is knocked unconscious, although the attack itself is not shown. Lynette and her boyfriend, Ray (David Keith), both live with alcohol addiction and are seen drunk. How this impacts Jody's life is shown and it ultimately leads to her running away from home. Despite some of the heavier elements, the story is a familiar fare about intrepid kids who brave perils in search of adventure.
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What's the Story?
In GOLD DIGGERS: THE SECRET OF BEAR MOUNTAIN, 13-year-old Beth (Christina Ricci) begrudgingly moves to the rural Washington town where her mother Kate (Polly Draper) spent idyllic summers. There she meets Jody (Anna Chlumsky), a troubled teen with a bad home life. After striking up a friendship, the two girls set off for Bear Mountain where, legend has it, it is home to some lost gold.
Is It Any Good?
Good performances by Ricci as Beth and Chlumsky as Jody give this otherwise run-of-the-mill story some weight and interest. Even the title, Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain, seems off, misleading in its use of "gold diggers," words with connotations of underhanded schemers who befriend others for financial gain. This is at its best the story of teen friendship, of one girl recognizing the good in someone who has been ostracized for her bad luck and quirky behaviors. But too often the script veers into sloppy narrative techniques, and cliched, well-worn plot turns seen in dozens of other movies that came before.
Despite the overly simplistic storytelling, tweens and young teens will probably get something from the action and the likable two leads. Both girls may take a few more risks with their safety than most parents would prefer. But they do set examples for the way that girls with agency can sometimes correct grown-ups and save the day. This could be seen as a mild precursor to such scarier and more violent movies about resourceful girls such as The Hunger Games and Divergent.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain depicted drinking. How did Lynette and Ray's behavior affect Jody's life? Have you experienced anyone who lives with alcohol addiction? If so, was the portrayal in the movie realistic?
Discuss the violence and peril in the movie. Which parts did you find most scary or upsetting? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
How was Jody viewed by the town's residents? How did this differ to the way Beth saw her? Which version of Jody was more true to who she actually was?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 3, 1995
- On DVD or streaming: November 24, 2009
- Cast: Christina Ricci, Anna Chlumsky, Polly Draper
- Director: Kevin James Dobson
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Adventures, Friendship
- Run time: 93 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: mild language and thematic elements, including a child's exposure to domestic abuse
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love adventure
Themes & Topics
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