Iron Will

I got the chance to work on this movie on the special effects crew as a local hire. It was a really interesting how we shot the movie, and how it ended up being put together. Makes you understand how important the editors are. Things that we shot weeks apart and in different locations ended up in the same scene in the movie. w Wen he goes off the cliff I am hiding just over the lip holding a safety line. It was extremely cold the first couple of weeks shooting - it was shot mostly around Duluth Minn, then it got warm and everything melted and we spent HOURS spreading potatoe flakes to make snow. The final scene of the movie - most of the snow was trucked in to cover the streets.

Being that I like to wonder about what really happened in historical films, I had been curious about what really happened in that race. I did everything I could to find out about the "real Will" and found out some interesting information. On a history of dog-sledding site it is said that the race made famous was dramatized in the movie Iron Will, was loosely based. That's an understatement. They change the hero's name from Frederick S. Hartman to Will Stoneman. It's not so bad, I love the movie it's excellent, and I suppose if they had kept the ending to what really happened it wouldn't have been so inspiring (nothing melancholy, but Frederick actually lost the race). What I like about Disney films is that they have some theme to it. Writers and English Lit teachers know what I am talking about: An inner meaning that the writers have inside the story. You see this over and over again in movies, and Disney is excellent at it.

The acting is great, the screenplay is all right, history aside it's not too bad. After all, history can be bleak sometimes, and hope springs eternal, we can always dream and imagine right? For film score fans like me, the music, which I always am interested in, is not so bad, the main theme is nice, but it's not as good as the music from Interview With The Vampire or Forrest Gump.

Bottom line, don't be taken too much by the tagline about it being a "true story;" if you do research you will be disappointed. Other than that, see it if you haven't yet. It's excellent. Just because it has hardly anything to do with the truth doesn't mean it's not a great movie.

I like this movie for its' basic "realism" It looks like America might have looked in 1917 attitudes included. The irasible Storekeeper who Will works for pretty well sums up the local attitude after the Newspaper man Kingsley sent arrives " Where's the box? " He asks, assuming young Stoneman has died in the course of the race. " Don't You get the Newspapers here ? " the shocked reporter responses and passes him several.

I enjoyed Mackenzie Astin's performance, but it didn't surprise me, He's Sean's brother and the son of John Astin and Patty Duke who both did a fair bit of acting. David Ogden Stiers' character was almost strictly Charles Winchester. I also liked Kevin Spacey's reporter out for the "big story" who in a sense was the biggest underdog of all... Imagine getting to page One in the midst of a World War from the K 9 section. uplifting , though not too believable. There's also that scene where wealthy gambler Angus McTeague visits Will in the dog shed and offers him 3000 dollars to drop out of the race. The Boy is sorely tempted and after He leaves, lead dog Gus gives him a almost disgusted look and Will says " I didn't take it... did I ?" No. young Stoneman is not cowed by anyone or anything but Gus the dog and is not all that nice... just human. Could it really happen ? doubtful, but then it is Disney.

Iron Will is a good, predictable film that you can immediately tell it's a Disney-produced film because of the inner deep meanings that are essential with all Disney films. This is a movie that is good for all ages. I saw this in 5th grade, and I just saw it again many years later and still thoroughly enjoyed it. It's very predictable but if you don't think and just watch, this movie will be good.

Charles Haid's film is a coming-of-age story about a kid who recently lost his father due to a tragedy and his farm is in danger of being foreclosed. He enters a dogsled race that's eerily similar to the Iditarod and his goal is to win the top prize that will allow him to keep the farm and go to college.

The acting isn't all that bad. Mackenzie Astin does okay with what he got to work with. Kevin Spacey is magnificent as always. I always love when Brian Cox plays a slimy guy because he is so good at doing it.

Overall, this is your typical Disney film. It's family-friendly and it features many adorable dogs. Speaking of dogs, I do like that Gus(the lead dog on dog team). He's a courageous little guy. Despite the film being predictable, I still hung on to all the tense moments. It's a good, little-known film that people should see. I rate this film 8/10.

We rented this film because Kevin Spacey is in it. When it came on, my daughter (12 yrs old) exclaimed "Oh no, not another cheap Disney film!" My wife also made noises of discontent and I was wondering why Kevin was in it and if I'd made a terrible mistake.

Well, it was good. True it had some bad Disney unrealistic heart-jerking story in it, especially at the end. The bad guys were really Disney evil, but the rest of the film worked.

Kevin Spacey gives his best at whatever role he tackles, and this is no exception. The sledding scenes are very good and it is really cold - you can feel it, and so can the actors judging by the breath.

The film get a few tears out and we decided that, although we never would have rented it if we knew it was a Disney film, we liked it. We give it 8.