Where the Red Fern Grows

What's more wholesome than a boy and his dog? How about a boy and his two dogs.

I vaguely remember reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" in elementary and I thought I'd watch the movie as a refresher. It is a virtuous movie about a boy named Billy and his love for his raccoon hunting dogs that he worked so hard to purchase.

It was an adorable movie if nothing else. Not terribly memorable and not terribly dramatic. Safe and adorable.

I take issue with the one negative review on this site. Some people might just be mad that they did not have a great life like that young boy...

This film showed a young boy taking responsibility in life to earn something instead of expecting it to be handed to him. That's something that many grown-ups today don't even do. As a high school student who watches a lot of movies, I haven't seen many films that show a kid working hard for what he's got and being happy with what he has. These values are missing today and this is movie is a refreshing change from what I'm used to seeing. It is a great movie!

This movie, without preaching, demonstrates basic American values of love and loss, and self reliability. It demonstrates why and how you only get from any effort what you put into it, and how strong love can be. I first saw this movie shortly after it's release, and it has had a profound influence on my life. We have to meet God halfway if we are requesting any help from a supreme being. Wholesome and heartwarming. It makes my eyes leak every time.

While the movie version of Where the Red Fern Grows is not quite as good as the book by Wilson Rawls, the film is still a quality family film and very much worth watching if you are a fan of the novel.

The changes in the plot for the movie version are minor, and most of the same themes Rawls intended for his readers can be found in the movie. However, one glaring difference is the fact that the characterization in the movie cannot touch the novel. The movie does little to build up Billy's "dog wanting" disease as well as Billy's dogged (pun intended) determination to secure himself some hunting hounds. This takes away from the reader's sympathy for and identification with the protagonist. Grandpa's character also does not come off as well as he does in the novel. In the novel, Grandpa is clearly a wise man despite his one irrational act; in the movie, he seems plain irrational, and there is no sign of his wisdom on the subjects of life and coon hunting. The extent to which the dogs are given characters and personalities in the book is not found in the movie, either. Billy's mother and father do translate fairly well from the book to the big screen, but the fact that the protagonist and his dogs do not is the major weakness of the film.

In closing, if you're a fan of the novel, then you should definitely watch this movie version, but don't expect it to be as good as the classic children's novel.

An adaptation of one of the best children's books ever written, while a good production, does not capture the magic of the book. I should know. I have read this book three times, and I love it more each time.

The atmosphere present in the book is very well morphed onto the screen. Most of the characters are very believable, and Billy is pretty good himself too. The movie also follows the book almost to a tee. The only main difference is the chemistry between the two dogs. While the dogs seemed well trained in the movie, only the human imagination can actually create the love that emulates from both of these animals.

And of course, the book is always just a little bit better anyway. If you've read the book and wish to see the movie, it might be a little disappointing. If you've seen the movie and want to read the book, do so immediately! It'll have you in tears.