Tom and Huck

A mischievous young boy, Tom Sawyer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas),witnesses a murder by the deadly Injun Joe. Tom becomes friends with Huckleberry Finn (Brad Renfro), a boy with no future and no family.

Going through the Top 250 lists from various years, somehow this ended up on the list for 1996. Of all the lists from 1996 through 2014, this first list is the most bizarre. Others have films that clearly do not belong, but none more than the 1996 list. And this is a prime example. How did a film that barely ranks above 5 out of 10 manage to be considered one of the best of all time? Not that this is a bad film. As far as kid stories go, it is alright, and not the worst introduction to the world of Mark Twain. But it is clearly not intended to be a masterpiece, but more like something one might see on the Hallmark channel. Just a showcase for the now-forgotten Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

Tom Sawyer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) runs away and is rescued by Huck Finn (Brad Renfro). They see Injun Joe and Muff Potter digging up the grave of Vic 'One-Eyed' Murrell to retrieve a treasure map for Doctor Robinson. Injun Joe murders Doc Robinson with Muff's knife. Muff is arrested for the murder. Tom is torn between an oath to Huck and his need to exonerate an innocent man.

The production looks weak. This Disney doesn't have the needed edge and doesn't even have Disney money. The story has too many killings to be a kiddie movie. The movie doesn't have the grittiness to feel real. Jonathan Taylor Thomas used to be a thing back in the day. He's cute with a twinkle in his eye. I don't lay too much on him. He just doesn't have the toughness unlike Brad Renfro. Rachael Leigh Cook is a cutie in this one. This movie's tone is all over the place.

We all know the story. There have been some pretty good Tom Sawyer movies made. This one capitalizes on star power for an audience that probably has never heard of the principle character. Putting these motives aside, it just doesn't work the best. While Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an adequate Tom, Brad Renfro is not a very good Huck. He is too much of a pretty boy. He is much too bright, though his character tries to make him otherwise. If you've read Twain, you know that he is tremendously superstitious and has really rough edges, both mentally and physically. He is kind of whiny in this movie. Becky Thatcher looks to be about 25 years old and stands next to Tom like a giant. She pushes him around and dominates. Obviously, the director decided to make her an attractive character to young women. That's not bad, but it betrays the spirit of the period in which it was written. They should at least have looked about the same age.

There are good scenes. The graveyard scene is well done. Injun Joe is threatening and murderous. The funeral scene is a disappointment. It needed to be milked a bit. Some of the peripheral characters could have been more developed. The conclusion works OK. However, it needed a dose of truth and believability to carry it through. See it, but don't expect a lot.

Visually, Tom and Huck is eye-pleasing, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Brad Renfro make a good pair as Tom and Huck. Other cast members fit their parts.

That the film did not strictly follow Mark Twain is no problem if you let the film story stand on its own. It is entertaining just for what it is.

Tom and Huck is an interesting enough film, but the transformation of Eric Schweig in his portrayal of Injun Joe compared to his characterization of Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans, is the most fascinating thing about it. In the body of his films, he seems to be able to alternate between utterly noble and utterly disgusting (e.g., Missing). Great acting.

Disney did good but still this version will never compare to the 1970's musical version. "Tom and Huck for a New Generation" is what this movie should have been called. The storyline stays true to the book but there is a modern day mid 90s feel about the relationship between Tom and Huck. Not unlike the old days when Tom and Huck in other filmed versions would simply drop what they were doing to go and play the ultimate prank on their unsuspecting prey.