MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN

US, 1969, 100 minutes, Colour.
Theodore Bikel, Ted Eccles.
Directed by James B. Clark.

My Side of the Mountain is a children's film with the tones of the '60s. It shows a 13 year old boy, a botanist, deciding to leave home and imitate Thoreau by living alone in the mountains. It reminds us of the self-assertion of the times. By and large, the boy does well, learning by his experience. He befriends a wandering songwriter played by Theodore Bikel and a librarian. The film spends a great deal of tine showing the beauty of nature and living in harmony with it. The crisis comes in his surviving the winter. The film is attractively presented in Panavision. However, with the rather studious background of the film and the points about self-assertion, the film is designed for older rather than younger children.

1. An entertaining children's film? Family film? of interest for boys? Thirteen year olds plus?

2. Panavision, colour photography of the city, the contrast with the mountains and the woods? The beauty of nature? The animals? The falcon? The musical score? The special effects for showing the animals?

3. The background of the title? The presentation of Thoreau and his philosophy? As applied to a young boy in the '60s? The conventions of the young hero leaving home, living alone on the mountains, encountering difficulties,' training the falcon? The difficulties of the winter? The contact with fellow human beings? Memories of parents? How persuasively were they put together?

4. The plausibility of the plot: the background of Sam, his memories of his parents during his bus ride, his arrival in the town. surviving in the mountains, the burning out of his cave home, the encounter with the bear. the difficulties of lighting a fire. the finding of the falcon. training it? The reading of the books in the town but his avoiding people? Bando and his companionship, shared experience? The concern for the winter? His weathering it? The encounter with Miss Turner and Bando? His algae experiments ? and their ultimate failure? His sense of achievement?

5. Sam as a typical young boy? Knowledge, background, resourcefulness, means. survival in the woods? Using his common sense, ingenuity? Suspicion of people? Friendships? What had he gained by his experience in the mountains?

6. Bando as the wandering minstrel? His songs? Friendship? Trust? Miss Turner and the books.. discussions about the birds etc.?

7. The background of Sam's parents and his memories of them? Their not fulfilling their promises?

8. The range of animals presented and their beauty. their place in nature?

9. The mountains, the seasons. hot and cold, winter snows and difficulties?

10. An idealised portrait of what many city children would hope for?