Lost in the Barrens

The film begins with our young star James (Nicholas Shields) being kicked out of the private school for financial reasons. He's sadly disappointed, but must go live with a relative Angus (Lee Campbell) in the back woods of Canada. I actually saw the sequel to this first, and searched out part one on amazon. It's so family-friendly, it hurts, but makes for a fine 90 minutes of viewing. Everyone is so polite, they even hand him a bag of sandwiches as they kick him out of the building. James narrates his own story in detail, so this is probably meant for a younger audience. He has many adventures, and learns life lessons the hard way, with Awasis, the Indian native as a guide. Very simple, plain story, so keep those expectations in check. Not bad, though. The beginning is pretty choppy, but it gets better as it goes along.

Directed by Micheal Scott, who has been nominated for two Oscars, both for shorts prior to this. Story by Farley Mowat, who had written the novel. Looking over his works, he has written his stories based on the great outdoors. According to wikipedia, Mowat was a devoted naturalist and environmentalist. It also points out that the details in his books were a little shaky, and some of his claims may have been exaggerated.

Well, the final film of the Echo Bridge 8 Adventure Movie Collection is actually a good one. Lost in the Barrens is a 1990 TV Movie based off of the novel of the same name of which I have not read. There was a sequel made to this movie in 1992 titled Lost in the Barrens II: The Curse of the Viking Grave which was based off of the book of the same name.

The film follows Jamie, an orphan who is attending a prestigious school. When the funds run out, he is asked to leave and live with his uncle who lives in the middle of nowhere. Jamie tries to adjust to this new life but is certain that he will be able to return to school. Some Indians come around and are going on a hunt when Jamie's uncle is injured and cannot go so Jamie goes with them. On the hunt, the adults decide to go towards the Barrens which is a desolate wasteland and a very dangerous place. Jamie is left with Awasis who is about the same age as him. One day, they go exploring and eventually get lost. They must learn to survive in the Barrens.

This film does feel like a 90's TV Movie and that is not a bad thing. The whole illustrated intro makes this film feel like a TV Movie. Again, not a bad thing. The story here is a nice type of story that is part coming of age and man man vs. nature. There is a nice balance. To be honest, I had low expectations with this film but was surprised. Lost in the Barrens may not be fantastic, but it is still a nice little film to watch. There are a few bits that seem to be a little bit slow but nothing that drags on for too long. The characters are likeable and they make me invested to this film. The acting is what you would expect from a TV Movie. Again, not a bad thing to say. It is nice to see these two characters at first see each other as the complete opposites from themselves but when everything happens, they start to develop this bond and they finally realize that they have more in common than they at first thought. It is a stroy of survival and we see the hardships they go through and it is really interesting and I am not going to lie, but the Barrens does appear to be a scary place. It is a place that the film tells you to avoid and I will very much listen to that. This is a nice film to watch with the family and even the Dove Foundation has approved this film for all ages and even though I don't care for the Dove Foundation, their views on this film is something I can agree with. With that being said, this is a film that I think would be nice to show younger children.

Lost in the Barrens actually surprised me. It is a nice film to watch with a great story. There is some alright acting here. It was just a nice film to watch overall.

The box has the words "family" stomped all over it, so the happy outcome is never in doubt.

What makes this adventure movie interesting is the very clearly drawn characters of the two 15-year old protagonists.

Orphan Jamie is impulsive and completely self-centred. Native Awasis is steeped in native superstition, a product of abuse in residential schools. Each gradually becomes a little less extreme from their interaction.

Because it is a family film, sex never rears it head, in even the most passing reference. Sex or desire just does not exist in their universe between anybody. I found the complete lack more jarring than had they put in a token reference to somebody having the hots for someone else. It gave the movie an unrealistic Disney feel.

I had some problems with continuity. The boys keep acquiring things as needed without any explanation of where they came from. It reminded me a bit of Mary Poppins' magic bag.

I did not particularly want to watch this movie. I did not want to watch people freezing, starving, killing animals for food and eating revolting things. The movie was my roommate's choice. However, the movie more than held my interest the whole way through.

A young man is unexpectedly removed from his high school and has to go live in the north of Canada with his trapper uncle who he doesn't know. He doesn't know anything about anything pertaining to this life style or area and he has no desire to learn.

He travels even farther north with some Indians he just met. He ends up lost in the barrens of northern Canada with an Indian boy. They face tremendous hardships.

This is an excellent adventure movie for the whole family. I gave it a 9.

Roger Moncrief

Poor Jamie (Nicholas Shields). First, he lost his parents to an auto accident. At the time, he was a student at an exclusive school in Toronto and he was able to stay because of his folk' trust fund. Now, alas, the money is gone, just as Jamie is near finishing school and is a star on sports' teams. Therefore, it is a shock when he is told he must leave the establishment and go live with his mother's brother in the wilderness of Manitoba! Talk about a lifestyle change! When the train pulls near his uncle's home, he and another lad, an Indian teen, is dropped off at the same time. This young man, it is assumed, has also been told to leave the school. After a long wait, Uncle Angus picks up Jamie and takes him back to his small, rustic cabin on Lake Winnepeg. There is no school, stores or anything resembling civilization nearby. After a rough beginning, Jamie accepts these changes. Yet, the bookish teen is very reluctant to join a hunting party to find fresh meat, which Angus' insists on. Even before the hunt begins, Jamie accidentally shoots his uncle in the behind, making it impossible for the older man to go. Jamie must go with the strange Indian teen and his father. Things get worse when the boys, egged on by Jamie, go off on their own and end up lost in the "barrens", a place where there are no trees or places of shelter. True, the Indian lad knows a few tricks of survival but will the boys make it home? This is quite a fine family movie, with excellent themes and settings. It has a nice groups of actors, including Grahame Greene, who perform very well. The Canadian interior looks sensational, even the barren lands, and the flick's obvious appreciation of Native American ways is very clear. It also offers fine lessons in learning to get along and understand those who are different from ourselves. Thus, find Lost! Your loved ones will discover its exciting story is just wonderful!