The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams

I think 2017 is exponentially worse than when you made this point. I'd like to add that folks likely make fun of it largely because they lack the courage and conviction to follow that style of life. I know I want to live like that. I have since i was a child. I'm one of the many that lack the courage to leave everything else behind to have it.

I cannot think of a better death that one following by the courage and conviction to pursue the life in your dreams. If this is my only life then I feel I've wasted it following those things in front of me instead of those things I always had dreams of being.

Adams was pushed to this extreme and brilliant enough to eventually realize that everything that mattered was in the world to which he retreat; utterly free.

I had just purchased a used copy of"The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" and I had honestly forgotten just how good this movie was. I had last seen this movie when it was first released in 1974, and I was the young and tender age of nine! That was thirty-two years ago. I had forgotten the simple-but-wonderful storyline. The way that you can almost "feel" the wonder of the mountains through the each of the characters,(I always did love Ben.) and the very relaxing acoustic music score. The breathtaking cinematography almost makes you feel like you're there!I whole-heartedly recommend this movie to anyone, and to Hollywood I ask"why can't you make more movies like this"?

I agree this show should have been remastered and yes it lacks a plot it was a betifull family show no extreme gross me out details just a fun slow moving film. Imiss these type of shows. Today is wayyyy to much graphic detail no chance to use your own imaginayion. Remembetr I was born in 61

As far as I know, "Life and Times" is only available on old VHS tapes, where no doubt it was a pan-and-scan transfer. That is really too bad. I haven't seen it since it originally came out, when I was 13, and I doubt it would be any major revelation now--at the time it was meandering, episodic, nothing very special but a pleasant family-friendly variation on "Jeremiah Johnson," with Dan Haggerty an appealing presence in the title role.

But what I really remember about it was that while nothing else about the film was all that memorable, the wilderness photography was gorgeous. That's exactly the sort of thing you lose in decades of crappy transfers to TV and VHS without a major studio upgrading the quality of the home-format releases. (And while I have no idea who owns the rights now, they probably aren't interested in making that investment, and god knows Sunn Classics is probably looooooong gone. Particularly since none of their other films seem to have gotten DVD/Blu-Ray treatment, either.) The same year, I also loved another (somewhat better if less commercially successful), "Where the Lilies Bloom," and while you can find that on YouTube easily enough, it's also in sore need of restoration--I remember how stunning the photography of Appalachia was in 1974, and you can't tell that from the existing transfers.

Anyway, I enjoyed the original "Grizzly Adams," but won't risk revisiting it until the unlikely day that somebody puts out a letterboxed digital restoration. Because whatever the film lacked in plot or finesse, it made up for in beautiful photography of spectacular scenery, and I'd hate to see that reduced to pan-and-scan and faded colors.

They don't make films like this anymore, sadly, since it presents such a thoughtful and gentle view of living in harmony in the wild with animals that it no doubt is called "corny" by modern cynics that are far too jaded by our coarse modern culture.

Dan Haggerty debuts as James "Grizzly" Adams, and is perfect casting, though it is a shame that the narration doesn't allow him to speak very much! Great score, lovely scenery, and pleasant (though still sad) story are all pluses. Schick Sunn Classics produced this, as well as other Documentary films like "In Search of Noah's Ark", "The Lincoln Conspiracy" & "Beyond & Back".

Only available on VHS, a shame as it would look spectacular in HD.

This film was a huge hit and led to the TV series also starring Dan Haggerty.