I was wandering through the local DVD rental place last week and came across the title; THE SNOW WALKER.
It immediately reminded me of a book of short stories by the same name which was written by the celebrated Canadian author, Farley Mowat.
When I saw that it was directed by Charles Martin Smith -- who played Farley Mowat in the movie NEVER CRY WOLF -- I just had to see it.
Based on Mowat's short story, WALK WELL MY BROTHER -- and with elements from a couple of other short stories (The Blood In Their Veins, and The Two Who Were One) -- it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
It takes place in 1953, and begins when a Canadian world War II flier -- who is now a bush pilot -- makes a fuel cache in the far north. He sets the fuel drums near an Inuit fishing camp, and one of the Inuit men hires him -- paying him in Walrus Ivory -- to fly a young woman to the hospital in Yellow Knife . . . she has advanced tuberculosis. Charlie -- the pilot -- doesn't like the native people, but he can't turn down the ivory, so he takes her in the plane and flies away.
They run into a storm, the engine on the plane blows up, and the two of them crash land in tundra country, hundreds of miles from nowhere.
Not knowing anything about survival in the far north, Charlie packs up his kit and effectively leaves the young Inuit woman for dead, telling her that he's going to walk to the nearest town which is 200 miles away.
It's a very touching story about how this sick and fragile young woman saves his life, and how he learns to respect the people of the North.
A very touching story.
Charlie is portrayed by the Canadian actor Barry Pepper -- who played the scripture quoting sniper in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.
And young the Inuit woman (kanaalaq) is played by Annabella Piugattuk -- her first movie role, in fact, her first try at acting -- and she does an absolutely marvelous job.
Filmed in Merritt, B.C., Churchill, Manitoba, (the polar bear capitol of the world) and Rankin Inlet, Nunavuk, the scenery is stunning.
And I have to repeat . . . it's a very touching story.
Ken V.
P.S. Before returning the rental, I had to buy a copy of my own.
It immediately reminded me of a book of short stories by the same name which was written by the celebrated Canadian author, Farley Mowat.
When I saw that it was directed by Charles Martin Smith -- who played Farley Mowat in the movie NEVER CRY WOLF -- I just had to see it.
Based on Mowat's short story, WALK WELL MY BROTHER -- and with elements from a couple of other short stories (The Blood In Their Veins, and The Two Who Were One) -- it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
It takes place in 1953, and begins when a Canadian world War II flier -- who is now a bush pilot -- makes a fuel cache in the far north. He sets the fuel drums near an Inuit fishing camp, and one of the Inuit men hires him -- paying him in Walrus Ivory -- to fly a young woman to the hospital in Yellow Knife . . . she has advanced tuberculosis. Charlie -- the pilot -- doesn't like the native people, but he can't turn down the ivory, so he takes her in the plane and flies away.
They run into a storm, the engine on the plane blows up, and the two of them crash land in tundra country, hundreds of miles from nowhere.
Not knowing anything about survival in the far north, Charlie packs up his kit and effectively leaves the young Inuit woman for dead, telling her that he's going to walk to the nearest town which is 200 miles away.
It's a very touching story about how this sick and fragile young woman saves his life, and how he learns to respect the people of the North.
A very touching story.
Charlie is portrayed by the Canadian actor Barry Pepper -- who played the scripture quoting sniper in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.
And young the Inuit woman (kanaalaq) is played by Annabella Piugattuk -- her first movie role, in fact, her first try at acting -- and she does an absolutely marvelous job.
Filmed in Merritt, B.C., Churchill, Manitoba, (the polar bear capitol of the world) and Rankin Inlet, Nunavuk, the scenery is stunning.
And I have to repeat . . . it's a very touching story.
Ken V.
P.S. Before returning the rental, I had to buy a copy of my own.
Good call Ken. I had seen this movie some time ago and really enjoyed it.
"No other success can compensate for failure in the home." D.O. McKay
"Never raise your hand to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected."
~ Red Buttons
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Ken Valentine Wrote:I was wandering through the local DVD rental place last week and came across the title; THE SNOW WALKER.
It immediately reminded me of a book of short stories by the same name which was written by the celebrated Canadian author, Farley Mowat.
When I saw that it was directed by Charles Martin Smith -- who played Farley Mowat in the movie NEVER CRY WOLF -- I just had to see it.
Based on Mowat's short story, WALK WELL MY BROTHER -- and with elements from a couple of other short stories (The Blood In Their Veins, and The Two Who Were One) -- it's one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
It takes place in 1953, and begins when a Canadian world War II flier -- who is now a bush pilot -- makes a fuel cache in the far north. He sets the fuel drums near an Inuit fishing camp, and one of the Inuit men hires him -- paying him in Walrus Ivory -- to fly a young woman to the hospital in Yellow Knife . . . she has advanced tuberculosis. Charlie -- the pilot -- doesn't like the native people, but he can't turn down the ivory, so he takes her in the plane and flies away.
They run into a storm, the engine on the plane blows up, and the two of them crash land in tundra country, hundreds of miles from nowhere.
Not knowing anything about survival in the far north, Charlie packs up his kit and effectively leaves the young Inuit woman for dead, telling her that he's going to walk to the nearest town which is 200 miles away.
It's a very touching story about how this sick and fragile young woman saves his life, and how he learns to respect the people of the North.
A very touching story.
Charlie is portrayed by the Canadian actor Barry Pepper -- who played the scripture quoting sniper in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.
And young the Inuit woman (kanaalaq) is played by Annabella Piugattuk -- her first movie role, in fact, her first try at acting -- and she does an absolutely marvelous job.
Filmed in Merritt, B.C., Churchill, Manitoba, (the polar bear capitol of the world) and Rankin Inlet, Nunavuk, the scenery is stunning.
And I have to repeat . . . it's a very touching story.
Ken V.
P.S. Before returning the rental, I had to buy a copy of my own.
Thanks, Ken. My poker circle has a movie night every couple of months. Think I know what our next flick will be.