Lassie

Acceptable film about Lassie in which suffers a car accident and is rescued by Turner family formed by Dad (Jon Tenney) , stepmom (Helen Slater) , little Jennifer (film debut of Michelle Williams and Anna Chlumsky turned down this role) and teenager Matthew (Tom Guiry) . All of them leave the town for the wilds of Virginia . In the country they are helped by a homeless collie named Lassie who becomes part of their lives . As Lassie protects Matthew from a dangerous wolf and saves him from a raging waterfall .

Entertaining and fun dog movie shot in marvelous outdoors with very well trained animals . Exciting life of a Collie named Lassie is here expanded to include the adventures of the humans who surround the dog . It packs a good cast such as Michelle Williams , Tom Guiry , Helen Slater , John Tenney , Richard Fansworth and Frederic Forrest , among others . This is an amusing tale of some children , a family and the most remarkable dog in the world . Set Virginia dealing with the fate of a wonderful Collie dog and the people who own and command them , there are splendidly revealed as Lassie narrates the circle of his life and seen through its own carefree life and unflinching loyalty . Handsome take off of the Eric Knight family novel but sometimes fails to capture qualities that make this book a classic . There were some earlier "Lassies," in literature of the 1800's, as well as in silent films . Eric Knight, a British-born author, wrote a Lassie character in a short story in 1940 , then expanded it to a novel called "Lassie Come Home," which became the first Lassie sound film . This is a new classic for a new generation, a thrilling saga of courage and loyalty . The animals in this film were in no way harmed or mistreated , and all scenes in which they appeared were under strict supervision with utmost concern for their handling . Developed quite energetically , as the story is efficiently told and through its profound and wizened eyes . One thread that connects all the Lassie projects is Lassie herself . Every one of the long string of Lassie productions has featured a collie directly descended from the original canine star, a dog named Pal . The new film was made with a young collie , whose biggest challenges were in scenes caring sheep and swimming across a river on her way home . The impressive scenery , photography and music enhance the story of ¨Lassie¨ and its adventures , sufferings and adversities . The tale is treated in good sense and high sensibility ; environment , animals , landscapes combine to enhance the glories of nature , one of which , after all , is beauty . Glowing and glamorous cinematography by Kenneth MacMillan , though being necessary a right remastering . It was filmed on location in Hinton, Sandstone Falls, New River Gorge National River, West Virginia, and Tazewell County, Virginia . Sensitive as well as emotive musical score by Basil Poledouris . He was an excellent composer and author of masterpieces , he composed : ¨Robocop¨, ¨Conan the Barbarian¨ , and ¨Conan the destroyer¨, ¨Hunt for Red October¨ , ¨Flesh and Blood¨ , ¨Free Willy¨ , ¨Starship troopers¨ , among others . The music all plays with the soul , it is so delicately composed, performed, and chosen for the movie that it is worth seeing just to enjoy the soundtrack . The motion picture was professionally directed by Donald Petrie .

Other films based on this famous novel starred by marvelous collie are the followings : the classic and original Lassie was first performed by a male collie named Pal and played Lassie in all of the early sound films such as ¨Lassie comes home¨ (1943) with Elizabeth Taylor , Roddy McDowall , Donald Crisp , Dame May Witty and Edmund Gwenn ; ¨Sons of Lassie¨ (1945) with Peter Lawford , Donald Crisp , June Lockhart and Nigel Bruce ; ¨Courage of Lassie¨ (1946) with Elizabeth Taylor , Frank Morgan , Tom Drake and Harry Davenport ; ¨Challenge to Lassie¨ with Edmund Gwenn , Donald Crisp , Geraldine Brooks and Reginald Owen . And subsequent follow-up played by Pal's descendants in the TV series and TV appearances and in most Lassie films since ¨Lassie's great adventure¨ (1963) with June Lockhart , Hugh Reilly , Jon Provost , Richard Kiel . And ¨Lassie¨(2005) by Charles Sturridge with John Lynch , Samantha Morton , Peter Dinklage , Peter O'Toole , Kelly Mcdonald , Robert Hardy , Edward Fox and John Standing .

As for the single "In My Life", I purchased all of the Beatles on 45 rpm and large record size singles in the 60s, I have it on both formats. So it is not a goof! There are songs and records issued in different formats for regional, different countries and specialized markets that are never released for most of the USA. The music is good, photography is excellent and rich is color, story extremely possible, locations were outstanding. Production gave a feeling that you were right there is the location and experiencing everything as it happened. My four year-old loved along with the rest of the family. It kept everybody attention. Overall an excellent family movie.

(Spoilers) Beautifully photographer, in and around the hills and woods of the state of Virgina, and wonderfully acted. This revival of the timeless story about the sensational sheepdog Lassie that never seems to lose it's charm and affection no matter how many times you see it.

The Turner family father Steve and his new wife Laura and two kids Matt & Jennifer, Jon Tenny Helen Slater Tom Gulry & Brittany Boyd, left the big city of Baltimore to go live and work as sheep farmers in the picturesque countryside of rural Virgina at the house that Steve's late wife Anna left him, come on to a tractor-trailer accident.

Waiting for the state troopers and local fire department to clear the wreckage this sweet and loving collie appears almost out of nowhere. With her master the trailer driver killed and now all alone she's looking for a new home and choose the Turner's as her new "best friends". At first trying to ignorer the cute canine the dog is so persistent, following the Turners on the highway for miles, that they decide to adopt her. It was the best decision that they ever made.

The movie "Lassie" grabs you right from the start and never lets go even after it's emotional and heart-stirring final that if your not in tears by then your just not human. Courageous and detected Lassie wins over everyone she comes in contact with: The Turners, especially young Matt, who at first tried to have nothing to do with the playful pooch. Lassie even wins over the Garlands, the father Sam and his two boys Josh & Jim (Frederic Forrest Clyton Barclay Jones & Charlie Hofhirner), who tried to kid-or dog-nap as well as shoot and kill Lassie. As she tried to keep them from stealing the Turner's flock of some 400 sheep. Young Josh was also angry, at the Turner's, because his girl April, Michelle Williams, left him and his self-indulging macho he-man act for the much more sweet and sensitive, as well as later brave, Matt Turner. The Turner's neighbors were also very bitter at the newcomers for taking over the rich grazing land, by putting a barb-wire fence across it, adjacent to the their farm, grazing land which in fact belonged to the Turners.

Lassie prevailed over all the perils that came before her. From a vicious dog-fight with a wild wolf who she saved Matt from being attacked and possibly killed. To a fast flowing and deadly white-water stream that Lassie saved both Matt as well as Josh who at first got into a fight with Matt over the stolen Turner sheep. That Josh and both his brother Tim and dad Sam Garland tried to commandeer away .

Lassie showed Matt that friendship is not like the CD's records and Walkman radios where you throw, or lock, them away and then buy new ones after you get tired with them; friendship is a life-long commitment. Matt who at first didn't want to move to the country, What No MTV!" saw what he missed in the clean fresh air and healthy environment of the Virgina farmlands. This while he was cooped up in the big city with nothing but rock, hard and soft, music and endless music videos to watch and waste his life, and hearing, away with. But most of all if he didn't move out to the country he never would have got to know and become a life-long friend, like everyone else in the movie, with Lassie.

This film will doubtless entertain young and old. The plot, while very predictable is full of love and endearing moments. The cast is very good at what they were hired to do...deliver a movie about a dog that will save the day and look good while doing it. The film is great and will always leave you with a smile...after all Lassie does save the day. A film that can be enjoyed by the entire family over and over again.

I really don't understand some of the negative reviews. What do people expect when they pick up a Lassie video? Yes, this one is admittedly formulaic: crisis looms - Lassie saves the day (repeatedly - it's like four or five of the TV episodes compressed into one movie. Maybe some people feel it's too simplistic, or that there's too much shaggy-haired heroism for one movie. But it's Lassie, for crying out loud! My four-year-old daughter loves it, as do her eight- and eleven-year-old cousins (a boy and a girl, respectively). Older kids would probably find it too schmaltzy, but for the younger ones (and for me, who can remember watching the TV series when I was a kid, and for my wife who's a sucker for schmaltz), it's great.