Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann

I liked this film, not only because it was well played by the leading 2 characters, but also because it did'nt stray onto the territory of abuse or violence this kind of film could have displayed, if it had been daring enough, it could have shown to the full the humiliation and degrading way in which Peggy Anne was treated, but it just lifts the surface of what could have been quite a disturbing film if it had been made for the big screen. I have to say the film is slightly wayward to the extent in which it almost made you feel sorry for the kidnapper, as he really did'nt do much in the film to deserve him the right to be hailed down with a hail of bullets. Even so I still enjoyed it.

Ruthless and brutal immediately come to mind when describing David Morse's detestable mountain man character. But Morse is no dummy, he has food hidden strategically among the mountains near Shade Gap Pennsylvania, where this true story takes place. His preparation and outdoor skills are more than a match for the disorganized and squabbling local police, State Police, and F.B.I. In some ways the movie resembles "King Kong" as there is at times a faint sympathy factor regarding the damaged character that Morse portrays. Make no mistake, this is a strong performance by David Morse, while the rest of the cast simply revolves around him. An exciting and violent ending is an appropriate climax to the manhunt. Recommended viewing. - MERK

Peggy Ann Bradnick was 17 years old when she was abducted on her way home from school in the small town of Shady Gap, Pennsylvania by a deranged mountain man looking for "a woman" of his own. There have been a lot of stories over the years of young girls being kidnapped, but this was one I was not familiar with this incident. To be honest, I wasn't even sure if it was a true story or not, and had to do some research afterward to confirm that it was. I generally take the words "true story" with a large grain of salt, but after doing that supplemental research after the fact I became even more impressed wit this TV movie than I already was. It is very faithful to the details of the actual story, and it is both exciting and engrossing almost from the very start, as we're first introduced to Peggy Ann and her large and loving family, then to the kidnapper, who's already wanted for variety of offences, and then see the kidnapping and the search for Peggy, which takes up the bulk of the movie as the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI co-operate.

The strongest part of the movie were the performances of the two main actors. David Morse (a very familiar face) played the kidnapper - known to locals as "Bicycle Pete," and whose real name was Bill Hollenbaugh. Morse, I thought, truly captured the mind and the persona of the kidnapper ans was quite convincing in the role. Megan Follows (a Canadian actress best known at the time for her portrayals of Anne of Green Gables) was also impressive in demonstrating a range of emotions as she sought to survive her ordeal and even developed a sort of sympathy for her kidnapper - who actually didn't physically harm her. The supporting case was very good. There really weren't any performances that detracted from the movie's quality.

There were, I suppose a couple of points that weakened this a little bit. I thought that at the very beginning of the kidnapping ordeal, Follows seemed a bit too calm given what had happened - although she could have been portraying the shock that Peggy must have felt at what had happened, and Peggy's written statement that she read to the media at the end after she was rescued was a bit too heavy on trying to explain Hollenbaugh's actions and get into his mind. But that didn't detract too much from the overall quality of the movie. As TV movies go, this was first rate. (8/10)

On May 11, 1966, a 17 year-old school girl from Shade Gap, Pennsylvania (Megan Follows), is kidnapped by some recluse hillbilly (David Morse) and forced to live in the wilds while on the run from authorities. David Soul plays an FBI agent while Dion Anderson is on hand as a Sheriff.

"Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann" (1991) is a TV flick that closely follows the true story with minor alterations. It was the most-watched primetime show of the week.

There are elements of "Deliverance" (1972), "First Blood" (1982) and another well-done TV movie, "Nightmare at Bittercreek" (1988). Of course it doesn't have the budget of the first two, but that doesn't prevent it from being a first-rate television film, realistic and compelling.

After watching, be sure to check out the 27-minute interview with Peggy Ann Bradnick on Youtube done on the 50th anniversary of the harrowing abduction in 2016. (The movie itself is also available on Youtube for free).

The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Los Altos Hills, California, as well as nearby Cupertino & San Jose, at the south end of San Francisco Bay. While these locations are a far cry from south-central Pennsylvania, the producers did a good job of picking a lush, hilly area as a decent stand-in for the real locations.

GRADE: B

For a made for TV film, "Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann" is very good.

The script is functionally well written, and it transitions rather seamlessly through the vital plot points.

David Morse plays a character named Bill, and he gives a solid performance as the deranged and misunderstood loner the townsfolk have derisively nicknamed, Bicycle Pete. Title character, Peggy Ann (Megan Follows), leaves viewers asking for more. She portrays the abducted held captive very impassively. As this film is based on a true story, perhaps the real-life Peggy Ann survived the harrowing incident by taking on a reticent disposition.

Jack Kehler sells the part of Peggy Ann's distressed father quite well. The film lags a little at it's midpoint, but it quickly returned to form, holding my attention until the end.

Overall, this is a great movie where most scenes are carried by Morse's strong acting. In addition, the cinematography is quite good; viewers are treated to some nice shots of a rugged, wild landscape.