Follow the River

This is a family film based on the James Alexander Thom book detailing the real life experiences of Virginia pioneer Mary Ingles, who was taken captive by Shawnees Indians in 1755. Although the film does not follow the book at times, the spirit and courage of Mary Ingles shine through. (At times, the book contained brutality that cannot be included in a family film.) Filmed in the mountains of North Carolina, the scenery is spectacular. Eric Schweig does an excellent job as the Shawnee chief Wildcat who controls Mary's fate. Sheryl Lee plays the indomitable Mary Ingles, and Ellen Burstyn is particularly effective as Gretel. The film is a testament to the courage of early American pioneers; it's hard to believe that anyone could withstand what Mary Ingles went through in trying to return to her beloved husband Will. Those interested in American history, American Indians,and inspiring love stories will enjoy this movie.

Follow The River was the best book I have ever read, and knowing it was a true story made it even more interesting. It has been about a year and a half since I read the book and I was quite excited to learn that the story had been made in to a movie. Even though the movie had been around since 1995 I didn't know it existed. The movie was quite a disappointment. From what I read in the book, Mary Ingles appeared to be a strong, passionate, brave and courageous woman. I don't understand why some of the events of the story were changed in the movie. There was no need for changes.Why didn't the script stick to the story just as it happened. It was a true life event---not a work of fiction. More time should have been given to her journey home. So much was left out. I don't think the acting was strong enough either. Maybe some day there will be a remake with actors that will fit the roles and it will be in the movie theaters so it will include many of the events that were left out and give more time to the journey back home.

Follow the River is a wonderful movie. I understand many reviewers here are upset that it is not faithful to the book , however, if you take it alone as a film, it is filled with an excellent cast, good dialogue, beautiful scenery, and full of human emotion. It is because of this that I decided to purchase the book which I understand has differences and is much more detailed. I heartily recommend this film to anyone whether you've read the book or not. I particularly liked the performance Eric Schweig, who portrayed the Shawnee chief and Ellen Burstyn who portrayed Gretel. This has inspired me to learn more about the French Indian war, and to see more movies of this genre.

I submitted a review not long ago, but I don't think it was accepted because I had a lot of political commentary about not so politically correct stuff.

In 1985, when I was 14 years old, my mother came into my room and handed me a paperback book called FOLLOW THE RIVER. "This is the most INSPIRING story I've read in a long long time." I, not being much of a reader at that age, took this book, and COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!!

It is, to this day, my all time favorite novel. That they made a little TV movie based on this wonderful work was bad enough. They should have made an epic feature film about the unforgettable protag and her true story. But to make a TV movie that squishes 5 months in a woman's life into 2 commercial ridden hours, and sanitizes the facts too??? Foul!!!

Mary Draper Ingles was a young mother of three. Her third baby was actually due to be born any day. On July 8, 1755, Shawnee Native Americans raided her settlement in Virginia, killed many of her neighbors, and even killed her mother. Then they abducted her, her two little boys, her sister in law Bettie, and a neighbor named Lenard, and took them from Virginia, up into W. Virginia thru the New River Gorge, on to the mighty Ohio River, and into Southern Ohio (present site of Portsmouth). Mrs. Ingles' life is scattered, devastated and all but destroyed. Eventually, in a few weeks as a captive, she loses her family. Her sons are adopted and taken to still another faraway Shawnee settlement. Bettie is given as a wife to a Shawnee man, and Mary herself is sold to French traders, along with a new friend, Ghetel, an elderly Dutch widow. Her life further ruined and disrupted, she makes a fateful decision: either return home to Virginia and to her husband William, or life is not worth living. Will is all she has left to remind her of who she truly is. She must return to him.

The movie devotes a mere 20 mins. to Mary's 1000 mile walk home. The book is so much more fun to experience, so rich in detail, and author James A. Thom constantly lets you inside Mary's head to know her thoughts, fears, regrets. She decides she must abandon the baby girl she had en route to her slavery. A Shawnee woman has pretty much taken over the baby anyway.

In September 1755, Mary and the elderly Dutch woman Ghetel escape while on a salt making assignment at the Big Bone Lick in western Kentucky, even father from home than the town in Southern Ohio, and from western Kentucky, through Southern Ohio, through W. Va and the formidable New River Gorge, formed through the centuries into tall, dark, rocky palisades that Mary, who has been weakened, starved and fatigued by her travels already, is forced to CLIMB in order to reach her husband. On top of this, it is already wintertime.

None of these wonderous facts are in the movie. Instead, we are given a completely fictitious segment at the end. It just seems all watered-down, sanitized, politically correct. The ending of the movie is NOTHING AT ALL like the one in the book. Mary's two sons were taken from her. Her younger boy died right after he was taken from his mother. Thirteen years passed before Mary laid eyes on the older son again. The baby daughter was NOT BROUGHT BACK TO MARY BY CAPT. WILDCAT. The baby daughter was adopted by a Shawnee woman and never seen by her natural mother again. The ending of the TV movie was like a politically correct fairy tale.

Because of the depression, the emotional toll the events took on Mary Ingles' life, her hair turned prematurely white at the age of 23. But thankfully, she did return to her husband William, she did recover from her malnutrition, and she had four more children. In 1768, she and her oldest son, Thomas, who was 5 when she saw him last, were reunited after he was ransomed. Bettie Draper, who was given to be the wife/concubine of a Shawnee man, was also ransomed, but died at the young age of 42, doubtlessly having never fully recovered from her ordeal.

Fact: Life isn't fair. Bad things happen to good people. Things don't always end up well and fine. The history of this country is not a fairy tale.

In my opinion, if you're afraid of not being politically correct in telling the facts, don't make the movie.

I really enjoyed the movie. What is the saying? "If fate hands you lemons, make lemonade." Mary Ingles makes the best of her situation, but in the end decides it better to leave her children with the Shawnee and try and make it back to her husband many days travel away. That would be one tough decision. But then she is very STRONG. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 2/21/2021