Clevercell Very disappointing...

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

sol- Set during the Great Depression, this live action Disney film involves a girl left in the care of her selfish landlady after her widowed father finds work miles away, and the journey she makes to find him upon overhearing the landlady's plans to throw her out. Meredith Salenger is well cast as the resourceful title character, striking a perfect balance between vulnerability and resilience, and the film is darker and more graphic than your average Disney fare. A vicious dogfight is particularly memorable and there are some striking images of Natty's friends being evicted from their homes. Much of the plot revolves around Natty bonding with a wild wolf in an angle that only ever half-works. The wolf not only acts as guide and compass, but is happy to play guard dog and even protect her from child molesters who are overly anxious to give her rides (!). It is never really explained why the wolf is so tame around her, but as far as animal performances go, it is a remarkable turn. Not all of the human performances are as good. Ray Wise is fine as Sol, Natty's loving father, but all the actresses who play matrons are very flat while Lainie Kazan goes way over-the-top as the evil landlady. James Horner's music score also often intrudes on the action. The film is generally well made though with atmospheric cinematography, excellent location scouting and delightfully detailed period costumes that justly earned Albert Wolsky an Oscar nomination. The father/daughter stuff works very well too especially with Sol's internal conflicts over what is in his daughter's best interests.

TheLittleSongbird A truly wonderful, moving film... The Journey of Natty Gunn fits that description like a glove. Set during the depression, this is like Homeward Bound but with people. The result is a beautiful, harrowing, poignant and lovely film that is criminally underrated, for it is by far one of the better Disney live action films. The attention to detail is staggering, I mean the sets were superb and the costumes were lovely. The music is haunting and pleasant and the script is well above average. There is also enough action to satisfy kids and adults, and the film is effective especially in conveying the harsh realities of children living in the depression. The performances were also astounding. Meredith Salenger was absolutely fantastic in the title role, completely believable and even heart-rending, I am lost for words at how she hasn't gone on to be a major star, for her performance showed that she really could act, which could more than be said for some of the actresses working today. John Cusack is also impressive as the drifter who tries to convince Natty that the open road is no place for a young girl. The wolf featured here is very cute too, and Ray Wise is great. In conclusion, this is a pretty darn good film. 10/10 Bethany Cox

rodewrrior 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

staisil2 This is a nice movie about a courageous girl just trying to get to her father, with a little help from friends, and even more enemies. Meredith Salenger was perfect for the part of Natty Gann. She's cute, tough, and just a good actress. (So, how then did shwe go into movies such as Dream a Little Dream?) John Cusack, as always is a doll. This is a good movie for eveybody. 7.2 out of 10.