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My Side of the Mountain

Play trailer Poster for My Side of the Mountain G 1969 1h 40m Kids & Family Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
After the summer trip his parents promised doesn't work out, 13-year-old Sam Gribley decides to emulate his hero, writer Henry David Thoreau, by living self-sufficiently in the Canadian woods. He sets out with his raccoon, Gus, and ultimately makes a home inside a hollow tree. While there, he takes on a pet falcon, Frightful, and befriends both a local librarian and a traveling folk musician. All goes well until winter comes on.
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My Side of the Mountain

Critics Reviews

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Derek Malcolm Guardian 06/16/2022
Pretty but leaden. Go to Full Review
Judith Crist New York Magazine/Vulture 01/01/2020
That rare "family" film that deals with flesh-and-blood rather than fairy-tale or television soap opera people, that talks about today in timeless terms, that finds its comedy and its high adventure and its moments of truth in human experience. Go to Full Review
Howard Thompson New York Times 10/30/2007
3.5/5
A slender, honest study of a boy learning to be a man his own way. Go to Full Review
Grace Montgomery Common Sense Media 02/23/2016
4/5
Book-based movie has quiet charm, some intense scenes. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 08/30/2011
B-
The homage to nature pic appeals to youngsters and boy adventurers, but left me yearning for a safer story for a 13-year-old boy. Go to Full Review
Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid 01/29/2009
An absolutely dreadful film that will appeal only to grown-ups who saw it when it was new. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Olivia G @Olivia92614 May 18 Bad movie. Rip off of book. My side of the hill. See more John B @RT61619016 09/10/2024 If you saw this film as a kid, you'll enjoy revisiting it for the nostalgia hit, but some of it will come off as laughable. For a kid who's supposed to be "nature savvy", he has trouble getting a fire going, and when he does, he's adding kindling like he's afraid of it. He sets fire to the inside of his tree home to enlarge it, then wanders off to look for dinner. What could possible go wrong? The "falcon chicks" in the eyrie that he climbs to are obviously pheasant poults, but then who would know the difference? The actor playing Sam seems all wrong for the part, he's clearly not too comfortable in nature and comes off as a bit clueless, which is partly due to some ridiculous screen writing. Despite some of these major flaws, the movie is still enjoyable as a whole. The ending is particularly well-done. See more 06/26/2024 Even a child needs his own side of the mountain Based on the book by Jean Craighead George and directed by James B. Clark A young boy Sam decides to go out into the wilderness to live a solitary life His idol is author/naturalist David Thoreau Sam is more privy to the wildlife than civilized society In the Canadian wilderness he sets up camp, goes hunting, and has his raccoon pal Gus He even adopts a pet falcon Frightful and befriends a librarian next to a traveling folk musician Sam narrates much of the story tracking his progress Yet he faces so much criticism and trouble from all the other grown ups saying he's not capable plus the winter season sets in testing his survival skills Ted Eccles does a wonderful job playing this young boy wanting a taste of Mother Nature, slowly he builds his confidence over time even when he avoids being seen by the outside world The only way to know nature is to live it Sam finds hardship but also hope in the most unexpected of places being he wants to be somewhat a disobedient person like Thoreau himself in nature that's more simple than complicated civilian life He learns to be a man in his own way and that's what Clark succeeds at getting across in a simple, small scale tale of looking for one's self See more 09/01/2020 It was a nice movie to watch with a young family, but, the circumstances seemed highly improbable that he'd actually survive all that. See more steve d @RT35616104 07/17/2020 Cheese filled adaptation that even fans of the book will avoid. See more s r @ScottR 04/25/2020 Saw this as a kid and I wondered why I didn't remember much. Saw it again on Kanopy and it was exciting for kids, but not much else when showing the realities of survival in the wilderness. See more Read all reviews
My Side of the Mountain

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Movie Info

Synopsis After the summer trip his parents promised doesn't work out, 13-year-old Sam Gribley decides to emulate his hero, writer Henry David Thoreau, by living self-sufficiently in the Canadian woods. He sets out with his raccoon, Gus, and ultimately makes a home inside a hollow tree. While there, he takes on a pet falcon, Frightful, and befriends both a local librarian and a traveling folk musician. All goes well until winter comes on.
Director
James B. Clark
Producer
Robert B. Radnitz
Screenwriter
Joanna Crawford, Jane Klove, Ted Sherdeman
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
G
Genre
Kids & Family, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 1, 2014
Runtime
1h 40m