TOM AND HUCK
US, 1995, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Brad Renfro, Eric Schweiz, Charles Rockett, Amy, Rachel Leigh Cook, Michael Mc Shane, Marian Seldes.
Directed by Peter Hewitt.
Disney had a popular success with its 1993 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, with Elijah Wood in the central role. The film had a very strong cast with Jason Robards and Robbie Coltrane as the King and the Duke, with Ron Perlman as Huck’s father.
That film was written and directed by Stephen Sommers who co-wrote this version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain’s companion story to Huckleberry Finn. In fact, Huck is a strong character in this film, along with Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Tom.
The film is set in the 1840s along the Mississippi River, Tom and his friends wanting to run away from home but returning, Tom looked after by his Aunt Polly. He has great admiration for Huckleberry Finn who travels the river and lives out of town.
The central action concerns a killing in the cemetery for which the drunken Muff Potter is arrested while Tom has witnessed the killing and knows that the murderer is Injun Joe. Tom tells the truth in court, Joe throws a knife at him but it is stopped by the Bible. In an eerie scene, Tom and Becky Thatcher are lost in the caves at the picnic ground and are pursued by Joe, with Huck coming to the rescue. In the 1938 version, this sequence was particularly frightening for children – and, with the killing in the cemetery, the throwing of the knife, and the fight and confrontation in the caves, this presentation might be frightening for children.
British director, Peter Hewitt, made a number of films for younger audiences, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, The Borrowers, Thunderpants, Garfield.
1. The popularity of Mark Twain’s stories? Tom Sawyer? Huckleberry Finn?
2. Disney film, bringing the classic to the screen, family friendly?
3. The Mississippi, the river, the town, homes, the court? The surroundings, the picnic, the cave, the interiors? The atmosphere of the 1840s? The musical score?
4. Tom Sawyer’s story? His friends and their running away from home, the raft crashing into the rocks, overturned? Huck rescuing Tom and reviving him? Tom and his friendship with Huck, Huck older, the background of his father, the Widow Douglas, travelling up and down the river, being free? His living outside the town? Tom’s visit? The friendship between the two?
5. The doctor, summoning the Injun Joe, the money for digging the grave, the treasure? Muff and his drinking, friendship with the boys? Joe and the murder? The arrest of Muff, Tom as the witness, Joe and his threats, the knife?
6. Tom at home, Sid, the jokes, Aunt Polly? Becky Thatcher? Strong stances towards Tom?
7. The court case, Tom and what to do, the fear of Joe? The prosecutor, condemning Muff? The defence lawyer with nothing to say? The Widow Douglas challenging him? The role of the Judge?
8. Tom and his decision to tell the truth, Joe throwing the knife, caught by the Bible? His escape? Joe killing his accomplice? The threat to Tom? Huck and his return, the nature of friendship?
9. The picnic, Tom and Becky in the cave, the threat from Joe, the fight, the knife, the treasure, how to the rescue? The fight and Joe falling down the well? The coins?
10. Life resuming as normal for Tom? Huck in his special clothes, change of life, going to school, with the widow Douglas?
11. How satisfying drama of Mark Twain’s story?
