Crappy film

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

There is nothing remotely uplifting, redeeming, or inspiring about this film - although that was supposedly the intention.Nevermind the bad acting, poor editing, and abysmal directing. It's the writing that kills it dead. Firstly, the method they use to show the daughter as being independent-minded is her smoking with two boys in a bathroom stall. This really only shows her to be self-destructive, and actually kind of dependent on peer pressure. Also. . . kids smoking in a Disney movie? The man with the mouse would not approve.Secondly, both the father and daughter in the movie are a pair of bona fide s@#$s. The father decides it's perfectly alright to leave his brainless, self-destructive daughter with a self-obsessed landlady who (no surprise here) kicks her out as he skips merrily off to the other side of the country. Oh, and this is after he spends the day looking for her because apparently he in no way keeps tabs on his pre-teen daughter in downtown Depression Era Chicago. This is someone for whom we're supposed to feel empathy and/or admiration?When the daughter, Natty, sets out on her own, she abandons a dog she adopted a couple scenes before. Like careless father like careless daughter? Then she lets a large, snarling, blood-soaked dog escape loose into a town after it wins a dog fight. I was actually almost glad when a random guy slapped her for doing it. I wanted to slap her myself at that point. The dog predictably shows up snarling and barking at her in the next scene, but sadly it doesn't end the film then and there by mauling her to death as a lesson to viewers not to release trained weapon-dogs into the world. Eventually, Natty avoids starving by the sheer luck that the dog brings her food and basically decides to adopt her.After the next part, wherein the dog guides her to an a-hole farmer and his pregnant wife - followed by the obvious upcoming implication that the dog would get blamed for an attack on the farmer's chickens - I just couldn't stand to watch anymore. The stupidity and endless pettiness of the writing became overwhelming.Oh and, by the way, girls from that era (even inner city girls) didn't swear that freely.All this said, the art direction and costuming is excellent. The cinematography is good, too. What a waste.

For whatever reason I always watch the animals in movies. The absolute best was the dog in the 1948 "Oliver Twist" with Alec Guiness. The wolf in this film is great. Only one time do you see him looking to a handler for his cue. In the closing credits he "Jed" got top billing. Yet another 'journey' story but well done. Cusack played his part well and Salenger was perfect. The guidelines for comments call for ten lines of text so: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I was waiting a long time to see this movie. Part of the reason why was that Disney made a poor decision by releasing this movie in pan and scan on DVD. After several failed attempts to convince Disney to release a widescreen version, I gave up and purchased a region-free DVD player and then purchased the region 2 version which was in widescreen.All I can say was, it was worth it. Journey of Natty Gann is a wonderful movie and is perhaps one of Disney's best. The cast features Meredith Salenger, John Cusack, Ray Wise and Scatman Crothers who all put in terrific performances (special mention also goes out to Jed the dog who plays Natty's wolf companion). This movies also boasts some incredible outdoor photography and a memorable music score by James Horner.The story is about a twelve year old girl named Natty (Meredith Salenger) who travels across 1930's America in search of her father. Along the way she has several adventures and meets up with another runaway named Harry (John Cusack).I definitely recommend seeing this one.

In what may be the most remarkable live action film to come out of the Disney studios during the 80's or even the 70's for that matter, I find the treatment it has received from it's own studio appalling. The best thing I can compare it to is having a ruby but discarding it because you only prefer diamonds. Considering all the costume jewelry Disney released in the aforementioned decades, you would think they would have more respect for this gem.I'm sure parents who took their children to see Natty Gann when it was released were surprised and shocked to discover that it was not a film for younger children. It is a very dark realistic film which takes place during the Great Depression. This is not only the story of a young girl traveling across country to find her father, it is the story of people searching for hope and trying to survive in an age when just having food on the table was a constant struggle. When Natty's father Sol(Ray Wise) is offered a job in a logging camp in Washington, he is only given a few hours to come to a decision, either take the job and leave Natty behind, or stay in Chicago with Natty and hopefully find work elsewhere. At first, rejecting the job offer, he steps out into the Chicago streets. In a truly remarkable scene, we see as Sol does, the faces of all those who have lost hope and been beaten down in despair. It is after this brief but telling moment that he realizes, as we do, there is no decision to be made and Sol accepts the work in Seattle. Sol is forced to leave Natty in the care of a boarding house owner Connie(Lainie Kazan). After Natty overhears Connie reporting her as an abandoned child, she decides not to wait for her father to send for her, and begins an arduous journey across country to find him.If ever there was a film that is a picture of contrasts it's this one. Early in the film we are given the harsh reality of depression era Chicago. Director Jeremy Kagan does not spare us from the details. We watch as men stand hopelessly and helplessly praying and hoping for work. There is a scene where a destitute family are evicted from their home. Later, as Sol is heading to Washington in the bus, we see another family on the road with their meager belongings strapped to their car as they head west, their car no longer operable. As Natty walks through the market place vendors sell what meager belongings they have just to get buy. When Natty runs away we see her fishing for food out of a trash can for a morsel to consume. Later, as Natty travels westward, there is beautifully photographed scenery of forests and mountains, but Director Kagan astutely reminds us of the bleakness of the depression with many scenes of the struggle in rural America, ranging from a scene of a farmer and his much pregnant wife plowing a field, to scenes of orphaned and abandoned children left to be wards of the state. This is not your Daddy's Disney, kids. Dick Bush's cinematography of the wilderness is breathtaking, yet in the scenes set in Chicago and in the farm towns of America, he mutes his colors to enhance the contrast between beauty and desperation. When Natty jumps her first train, she is help and befriended by Harry(John Cusack), who is also riding the rails. Cusack in his first major dramatic role after being extremely good in The Sure Thing, shows for the first time that he is not just a comedic actor, but has dramatic prowess as well. Harry may be young, but Cusack gives him the edge of a man aged beyond his years. It is an uncanny performance.Salenger, as Natty, is more than just a teenage actress. Her characterization draws us into the story from the first moments of this film to the last. It is the key that holds this film together and if it had been put into less capable hands the film would surely not have succeeded as well. Although her film career since Natty Gann has not been noteworthy, you will always remember her for her unflinching portrayal of Natty Gann. This is a journey for the ages, and one you will not soon forget. Unfortunately.......I don't make it a habit to comment on the DVD release of films, but in this case I'll make an exception. The transfer of this wonderful film is appalling. It's bad enough when a film that shouts "wide screen" is only released in a very horrid poorly done pan and scan, but the full screen transfer is one of the worst if not the worst I have ever seen. It gives new meaning to the word grainy. At times the picture jitters so that you may begin reaching for your VCR remote to adjust the tracking until you remember this is a DVD. There are signs of the film's age running rampant throughout and no visible effort to clean it up digitally or otherwise. I'm not one to believe every film should come with a boatload of extras, and have no problem if a studio wants to give us just the film, but there is absolutely no excuse for the poor picture quality of this DVD. This movie is a gem, and for the Disney studios to tarnish it and treat it in this unconscionable manner, saddens me terribly. What is more frustrating is the fact that Disney can do quality video releases, so just a decent film to DVD wide screen transfer would not have been a lot to ask for. They should be ashamed of what they have done to this fine fine film.My Grade: Journey of Natty Gann-A DVD transfer - F