Where the Red Fern Grows

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Summary: Where the Red Fern Grows
Review: Our seventh grade just read Where The Red Fern Grows. It was the best book ever and the rest of my friends think so too. It just became our new favorite book and then our teacher, Mr. Cutlip, asked us if we wanted to watch the movie. We said yes -- we were so excited and when we first starting watching it we were so excited but the more we watched it, the more we did not like it. We got so mad at it because it was leaving some real good parts out because the book was just so good we all figured the move was going to be real good. We all were wanting to know if you could go back and remake the movie all over BUT this time make it as close to the book as you can -- then you will have the best book and movie ever. And trust me everybody would buy it -- I would be the first one to buy it because your book is so good my mom is going to buy the book for me and there is not one book that I liked to read until now and it is Where The Red Fern Grows.

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Summary: A Gripping movie
Review: Set in the thirty's, Red Fern centers around a boy named Billy who after two years, saves up money to buy coon hounds and names them Old Dan and Little Ann. A great movie{featuring music by Andy Williams} for young children. The book is espicially good. Unfortuantely, the sequel is a poor rancid excuse for a movie. Check it out!!! The ending will touch your heart!!!!!

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Summary: Terrible.
Review: The book is way better

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Summary: A disappointment
Review: The Depression-era story of the devotion of a young boy for his loyal hunting dogs. This production suffers from its low budget and stiff performances. It fails to capture the essence that made the Wilson Rawls novel so appealing.

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Summary: this movie was very different from the book
Review: The is book is much more detail, the is very sad but it is well worth the monet

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Summary: Billy
Review: This book is the best thing I've ever read. It captures the heart of every reader. The thing I liked most about the book is the relationship between a boy and a dog. I would recommend this book to anyone.

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Summary: AWESOME DUDE
Review: This is a awesome book. The best part I liked was when he got the dogs OLD DAN And LITTLE ANN they were so cute and when the mountain lion came Billy was scared.

The sadest part was when they died. And the Red Fern grows right between their graves.

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Summary: DON'T MISS OUT OF THIS GREAT CLASSIC!
Review: THIS IS A WONDERFUL MOVIE ABOUT DEDICATION,FAITHFULNESS,LOVE,AND HARD WORK. MY DAD WAS VERY POOR AND HE WANTED A DOG BUT COULD NOT AFFORD ONE. HE DID ANY JOB HE COULD JUST LIKE BILLY AND FINALLY BOUGHT ONE. THE STORIES MY DAD TOLD ME OF HIS YOUTH IN THE HILLS OF TENN. ARE SO SIMILAR TO THIS STORY BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BORN IN THE "HILLS" OR HUNT TO ENJOY THIS MOVIE! THIS MOVIE IS FOR ANYONE WHO HAS A HEART AND LOVE FOR ANIMALS. THE ACTING IS EXCELLENT,THE STORY LINE FLOWS PERFECTLY AND THE FEELING YOU ARE LEFT WITH AFTER WATCHING THIS IS PRICELESS. IT IS A 100% FAMILY MOVIE AND THE KIDS WILL BE GLUED TO THE TV. A WARNING THOUGH YOU WILL BE CRYING IN THE END BUT YOU CANNOT MISS OUT ON THIS CLASSIC!

Rating:
Summary: Red Fern
Review: This is simple, well intentioned and instantly likeable film. Made in 1974, there are evident signs of the age of the film, but this works to its advantage. This is one of the classics. Perhaps not as famous as Old Yeller, it's "older brother", which also hailed from the Disney studio's, it is equally as likeable.
Stewart Petersen does a terrific job as young Billy Coleman, and makes the character immensely likeable.

The film follows Billy's life, as he desperately saves money to buy a pair of hunting dogs. It is evident that he leads a fairly poor, but honest life, and struggles with his decision to buy the dogs, as opposed to giving the money to his Father. On going to collect the dogs, he is stared at by the local folk, almost looked down upon, each one in turn glancing at this scruffy, barefoot young character as he enters "their world". Picked on by local children, he befriends the local sheriff, who we meet again later in the film.

There are some wonderful scenes, from his first encounter with his new found friends, as they lick his toes, and he gently picks them up for the first time, to the comical scene where he is training them, and they run, followed by three children, through the house, sliding every which way on their Mothers freshly cleaned kitchen floor, in a scene which borders farcical, but knows where to draw the line, in keeping the humour gentle.

Billy is an idealistic young man, willing to take a beating and defy his mother, rather than break a promise to his dogs. All this makes him a very likeable, and identifiable character. This is further showed toward the end of the film, when his true courage and sportsmanship show themselves in a hunting competition.

This is by no means a jolly film - it's a positive tearjerker, unashamedly so. There is a death, which in itself is only mildly instrumental to the plot, but serves Billy a valuable life lesson, and the viewer is left feeling his pain and sorrow.

The end is equally sad, which I won't give away, but there is a beautiful closing shot as the camera pans away from the family, focusing on a single red fern....

There are times when deep, clever plots, and intense dialogue serve no purpose, and this film is a shining example of this. It has no pretences about what it is. It is a lesson that true beauty is found in the simplicity and innocence of a child's world.

It is quite simply, a nice film. I am not fond of the word "nice", but in this instance it serves well to describe the film. A great example that some of the older films, can still give modern Hollywood movies a run for their money. This does just that, and wins hands down all the way.

Particular mention must also be made to the soundtrack, which is perfect for the film, and simply beautiful, from the gentle incidental music, to the lyrics in every song. I watched this anticipating it to be a little "ropey", and perhaps rough around the edges, given it is 30 years old. That anticipation was the only thing the film wasn't. It really is a polished gem of a movie, and one that I can recommend very highly. Sure it's a sappy, sentimental tearjerker - it doesn't pretend to be anything else, and for that, I loved it. A very well earned 10/10!

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Summary: A heartwarming classic from the 70s !
Review: This is the poignant story of a young boy who learns the value of hard work in getting something you want badly,in this case some hound pups.This is a good,wholesome movie,free of profanity and loaded with old-fashioned values.However,most kids of today will probably be bored with this movie. Its a better movie for adults with corny,sentimental tastes like me! The scene at the end of one coon dog grieving over the injury and eventual death of the other dog attacked by a mountain lion makes me cry every time!