Dove cresce la felce rossa

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.

The 1974 version of "Where the Red Fern Grows" was shot in Tahlequah, OK at the time I was director of Theatre Tulsa, not far away. Norman Tokar, Director, came to me and asked if I would help find local children to be in the film, and I had about 200 of them sitting in my theater the next Sat. for him to choose from. He picked the two young girls from that bunch. As a gesture of appreciation, Norman gave me the role in the film that he had intended to play, himself -- the Stationmaster. Lyman Dayton, the producer, decided he'd make a new version some 25 or 30 years later, and he called me to ask if I'd reprise my role as Stationmaster in this new filming. I said, "Yes." It turned out that I was the only member of the original cast who repriced his role. There's a lot more to this story, but that'll suffice for now. Bob Telford

Today's young people should really take a look a look at this family movie. The morals and the lessons learned are very good. The story is simple, a boy and his dogs. What's important about this film is how different life was without television, cellphones, the internet, children did chores and helped their parents, and listened to what their parents had to say. The film is good, the acting okay, the animal scenes are very good, a good wholesome film. If your kids are acting up, force them to watch this movie, and then they will appreciate on how easy they have it. I liked the movie because it takes place in Oklahoma, rural Oklahoma, far from major cities like Tulsa. Life was simple then, and family values were high, I especially liked when Billy spent the extra ten dollars on his family, rather then spend it on himself, try getting your kids to do the same, I really doubt that would happen these days. I haven't seen the remake of this film, but it would have to be awfully good to top this one.

I don't know how I missed seeing (or even reading) Where the Red Fern Grows as a kid, but watching it as an adult for the first time was an interesting experience. This is a dated, but well-made family drama. It's a simple story that takes its time and does its best to make sure the children that watch it are emotionally wrecked. Strangely enough, though, I didn't cry. I just want a dog now.

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.