Across the Great Divide

And I LOVED that game growing up. I just watched this movie for the first time since the early 90's. Across the great Divide is proof that you don't need huge budgets or big stars in order for a movie to be good. The movie starts off with 2 children who need to cross the wilderness to claim their land inheritance meet a gambler on the run. Together they face natures obstacles in order to reach their destination. Granted, there were a few parts that were pretty predictable as to what was going to happen next. But all in all, it was a great little film to watch whether its in a family setting, or just by yourself.

Plot: A professional gambler on the run stumbles across and eventually joins up with two orphaned children on their way to Oregon.

Good stuff: The film has some amazing scenery and even more amazing scenes with animals. The performance by the actress playing the older sister is pretty good and there is some nice dramatic tension between her and Robert Logan's character. The card game between Logan and the horse traders was pretty amusing.

Bad stuff: I thought the film ended rather abruptly. While there is a resolution of sorts, it would have been interesting if the film could have gone on for maybe another 15 minutes. In addition, Robert Logan seems far too pleasant to play the self-centered gambler character.

Overall, not a great film, but one good enough to keep your attention and the attention of the kids.

This is a good film for family or an easy watch. The plot is not very compelling and the acting is remote. However, this was filmed in Utah and Canada, and the critters are very present, often at odds to the desires of the main party. The wolf scene is quite dramatic. Obviously the film makers were equipped to shoot outdoors as the colors and details are quite good for the time period. About 3/4 of the way through the movie, the party passes a lake. I am guessing it is the famous Peyto Lake in Canada's Banff NP, a truly spectacular place. If you like a wholesome movie, with lots of critters and big wild lands this movie is worth a view. Nice dog, too!

Two orphans, Heather Rattray, Mark Hall, must cross the Great Divide, the rugged snow-covered Rocky Mountains in 1876 in order to reclaim their inheritance, a 400 acre plot of lands in Salem, Oregon . Along the way they are helped by a roguish card player, Robert F Logan. They soon find that nature may be very harsh and dangerous. All of them seeking escape of bandits, George Buck Flowers and others, Indians and a hunger as well a huge bear pursuing them .At the end takes place an amusing card game between the expert card player, Robert Logan, and the ingenuous outlaw, George Buck Flower, that results in unexpected consequences.

An enjoyable family fare with majestic scenario. A predictable retreat of previous film from Wilderness Family saga, but more good family adventure drama. This is a pleasant and agreeable coming-of-age story in which a pair of waifs find trouble in paradise, this makes a half-hearted attempt to break away from the triteness of the Walt Disney stereotype, before succumbing to a catalogue of savageries and beauties of nature. The picture spends time promising interesting tensions between the independient children and the rogue drifter, before dumping them on the wilderness to find savage animals in exemplary Baden-Powell fashion and the little girl results to be the better provider, while attempting to escape of Indians.

It contains a colorful and wonderful cinematography, including breathtaking outdoors. And a sensitive and touching musical score by Angelo Baladamenti, David Lynch usual. This fairly formulary children adventure was well directed by Stewart Raffil. He is a fine craftsman who has directed several films of all kinds of genres as Grizzly Falls, Tammy and T-Rex, Mannequin 2, Mac and me, Ice pirates, The Philadelphia experiment and other films in similar style to Across the Great Divide : Sea gypsies, The adventures of the wilderness family, When the north wind blows. Rating 6.5/10. Decent adventure movie for the youngest viewers.

My mother took me to see this movie at the theater when I was 10 years old, and it is one of my all-time favorites. It has all the elements that make movies great: soothing music, breath-taking scenery, suspense, humor, and adventure. Right from the start you are drawn into the movie by the charm of Zachariah Coop, a trickster by trade. While running from the mischief he stirred up at his last gig, meets up with two kids who are in need of some adult help and protection to see them safely over the mountains. After the unfortunate timing of their meeting, they struggle to regain each other's trust, which they know is the only way they will be able make it. The wolf scene was incredible. The director should have won awards for that.