Rating: 
Summary: A Timeless, Magical Classic
Review: Once in a great while you see a film that really leaves you speechless. I had been aware of this film for many years, but only recently watched it on a cable TV station. It's the kind of movie that transcends age, gender, time and place. The story is so great and the acting is just superb! Meredith Salenger stars as the title character and she's does such a wonderful job that you forget you're actually watching a movie. It's the kind of film that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It's too bad that Disney didn't do a better job with the DVD edition, since this movie is a real gem. I give it the highest rating!
Rating: 
Summary: a little gem- 2 stars for the dvd, 4 for the film
Review: Parents, beware, this movie is not for your children. The majestic scenery is overshadowed by a gloomy outlook, grotesque swearing (including taking the Lord's Name in vain several times), and the point of view that all adults in leadership are evil. Trust me, this is one for the trash can. That's where my copy is.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a Family Movie
Review: Parents, beware, this movie is not for your children. The majestic scenery is overshadowed by a gloomy outlook, grotesque swearing (including taking the Lord's Name in vain several times), and the point of view that all adults in leadership are evil. Trust me, this is one for the trash can. That's where my copy is.
Rating:
Summary: The Journey of Natty Gann
Review: The Journey of Natty Gann is a true Disney film. It's hard to say that about a lot of Disney films these days. For a heartwarming good time, this film is a must see. This is for everyone of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Why Pan and Scan?
Review: The Journey Of Natty Gann is the story about the adventures of a young woman from Chicago who is on the road to find her father who was sent all the way to Washington to work. Along the way, she befriends a wolf-dog(the same animal that played in the 1991 film White Fang), and a drifter. The bad thing about this dvd version is that it is only in pan and scan when it should be widescreen. We are only seeing half of the picture! DvDs were developed to make movies look as good on television screens as they did when they first came out in theaters. It is a matter of choice, but I refuse to buy any DVD, Disney included, that is not in its correct aspect ratio, and I urge anyone who feels the same way to contact them and try to get them to release a widescreen version of this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Take the Journey, one of disney's best
Review: There is no question about it, The Journey of Natty Gann is one of the true modern classics in the live action post-walt era, along with Iron Will and White Fang. John Cusack and Meredith Salenger are first rate and the wolf is pretty darn good too. The reward is a movie that is beautifully shot, well written, and well acted. Just the right amounts of adventure, pathos and well realised vignettes, as Natty journey's on her road trip to join her father. It has been a long wait but finally it hits DVD. My only concern is that there are no specs to indicate if this will be released widescreen, that is somewhat disconcerting because like the forementioned 'White Fang' and 'Iron Will' the cinematography is crisp eye candy.It would be a great injustice to the cinematographers of this film if it was not seen how it was meant to be seen.(especially on dvd) Also it is worth mentioning the costumes and editing in this film for serious film students. But most of all, the movie is elevated with a beautifull score by james Horner. Well worth the journey!
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT MOVIE but not widescreen!
Review: This is a GREAT MOVIE. What is not great about the DVD is that it is not offered in widescreen! This is a WIDE movie that is likely to make you sick if you don't like pan and scan (which I do not).
Rating:
Summary: Endearing story of the Depression
Review: This is a little-known Disney movie that is probably one of the studio's best live-action films. This was one of my childhood favorites, and, when I saw it again recently, it became one of my adulthood favorites.The story takes place in the midst of the Great Depression and starts out in Chicago. Natty and her father are struggling to make ends meet, but still manage to love each other and survive. Trouble comes when Natty's father finally gets a job - in Washington. Unable to find Natty to tell her, he leaves her a note and leaves her in the charge of an overbearing boardinghouse owner. Fed up with bad treatment and not wanting to believe that her father abandoned her, Natty sets out to meet up with her father, hopping on trains and hitching rides west. Along the way, she helps free a wolf who is being used in dog fights. She and the wolf meet up later and become companions. Natty also joins up with John Cusack, another drifter looking for work. The movie includes beautiful scenery and an interesting portrayal of Depression-era America. The relationships are also fascinating. For instance, Natty only calls the wolf "wolf," and still recognizes that he is a wild animal. In other words, she doesn't attempt to make him into a pet. Additionally, her relationship with John Cusack's character is not silly, self-conscious, or filled with expectation. Another reviewer noted that the DVD version of this movie is disappointing. I found the quality of my DVD to be absolutely fine. There are no special features, but the film itself is of decent quality. This is a sweet, fascinating movie that is appropriate for children and adults and should immediately be considered a classic.
Rating:
Summary: A Moving Journey of the Heart
Review: This is a quietly touching movie you'll remember a long time. This is truly an adult film made by Disney long before they had their Touchstone division. Meredith Salanger gives a star making performance as a teenage girl growing up with her father during the depression. A young John Cusack has a nice turn as well, already showing the kind of quiet and suprising talent he has become well known for in recent years. Natty's father (Ray Wise) finds the only work he can and reluctantly leaves Natty with someone who turns out to have no love or compassion in her heart for anyone but herself. He has gone to Washington to cut trees and leaves a letter promising to send for her, along with a locket containing a picture of her dead mother. When no word comes she runs away to find him, riding the rails. The great beauty of the Pacific Nortwest is a backdrop for a beautifully filmed and realistic journey of a time and place gone by. It is not a rose colored journey as one might expect from a Disney film. The people and places are real and she is met along the way by both the kindness, and the cruelty of strangers. There is a realistic but brief scene when she hitches a ride and a pervert tries to molest her. Natty meets Cusak early on in this film and when they meet again later on they tramp together and begin to have feelings for each other. Meanwhile her father takes a dangerous job, not caring what happens to him due to a chain of events which cause him to believe she is dead. A wolf becomes her friend and they travel together, looking out for one another, and though this may sound corny, it is handled in a realistic and believable way. When Cusak finds work in California she must continue on to find her father. But there are sweet moments when she writes to him and we know that somewhere down the line they will be together. Ray Wise gives a fine performance as a loving father forced by the depression to leave the daughter he adores in order to support them both and survive. There are some truly touching scenes in this film that will make you get something in your eye, if you know what I mean. This is a memorable film that teenagers and adults can enjoy together as my daughter and I did. The DVD quality was great. Don't miss this one. It's something really special.
Rating:
Summary: Cross Country in the Depression
Review: This is a terrific movie. This is the reason Disney has lasted as long as they have: every once in a while they come out with something moving and unsweetened. It's the story of a girl who travels cross country with no resources on her own to try adn reach her father. It's also a budding love story, and adventure story, a fable about a guardian wolf, a tale of great odds and ingenuity, and a slice of what the US society was like during the depression. It can be watched by kids but would also be interesting to adults.
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