The High Country

Before there was Continental Divide, there was The High Country. Both the underrated Timothy Bottoms and Linda Purl are exceptional as a convict and a "handicapped" girl who flee from civilization to the mountains. I'm a sucker for movies that focus on just the two people falling in love - and it is even better when they are isolated. A truly touching love story. Not at all sentimental. No Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth's here, Ladies and Gents.

An escaped convict teams up with a Peter Pan-obsessed, hitchhiking girl who suffers from social problems on the road and together they trek into the 'High Country' to get away from their respective problems. But with the police on their trail and the J M Barrie lovin' lady's overprotective father close behind, can their newfound relationship last?

There IS such a thing as being too lovable, and Linda Purl proves it as she jumps around the mountain like a chipmunk on acid. Her constant chirpiness is so irritating we really feel for poor Timothy Bottoms, who is forced to shack up with her after he is shot in his retreat from the law. How he ends up falling head over heels in love at the end after finding her annoying for most of the movie (even agreeing to go back to prison for her) is beyond me, but that's Hollywood for ya..

Another thing is her so-called disability.. she says in the finale she has made 'great progress' in her behaviour, but she is EXACTLY the same twee individual that she is at the beginning. Also, it doesn't specify what her condition is.. I would suggest a particularly immature 8 year old kid stuck in an adult's body. She needs therapy, not for her so-called dedicated daddy to accept her tryst with a marijuana smuggler about a decade and a half her senior. Funny how it takes his daughter to fake suicide to get papa to 'come to his senses'. Alarm bells anyone?

Plus points? The scenery is spectacular, and there are some nice little moments, such as a helpless Bottoms being spoon-fed soup in bed or Purl's smackdown of a handglider who tries to get fresh with her. But overall, the clichéd nature of the material and the long patches of nothing overcome it, and you're left with a bit of a waste of time. Plus don't hang around for the credits, or you may just hear the worst song EVER. You have been warned.. 4/10

This film succeeds very well as a somewhat corny "feel good" movie. Purl is particularly good in an understated way. If you are at all into "feel good" movies this one will definitely leave you with that warm fuzzy feeling.

An escaped convict and a learning disabled woman meet under the most outrageous of circumstances. They go to a cabin in the woods and "play house". He yells at her a lot and holds a knife to her throat. Aww...how touching.

The real excitement comes when they grab some camping gear and hike and hike and hike until finally...they hike some more. They do their best to bore the viewer into a coma. It works. I won't ruin the dull ending for you just in case you have a desire to torture yourself by watching this film. 1/10

Weed dealer Jim (Timothy Bottoms) is in custody. He survives the car crash and goes on the run. Kathy (Linda Purl) is a sweet mentally-challenged girl living alone in the wilderness. She has lived in the cabin on and off since childhood with the support of her rich father. Kathy treats the sickly injured Jim. He's a hardened criminal with a troubled childhood. Even after he tries to rape her, she offers to guide him up to the remote High Country.

Linda Purl is adorable although her mental handicap seems a little manufactured. She seems to be trying to play autistic. Jim is an another matter. The rape attempt is probably too much. He's too hard. I understand that it's the attraction of opposites. He still needs to show more heart at the start. I love the scenery. The romance is classic feel-good and very melodramatic.