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)

I was impressed by how well this TV movie tells the story of the 1966 kidnapping and related events. I was a small child when the actual events happened and so I only had vague memories of them, but "Cry in the Wild" seems to mostly stay true to the factual accounts that I've read, including newspaper articles and the book Deadly Pursuit. Even some of the dialog is factual.

I also especially like how it tells the story without sensationalism, especially compared with over-the-top movies and TV programs that are so commonly seen these days. At the same time the plot moves along well. There are a few fictional elements that might have been added, but they seem relatively minor. There's also some forced, unrealistic dialog that "sets the scene," but that seems mostly confined to the beginning. The characters are treated with respect, and in some cases some depth. From what I read, Peggy Ann was pretty level-headed and perceptive for her age, and that comes through in the portrayal of her. The kidnapper evokes fear and also pity. The dedication of FBI agents, PA State Police, other lawmen, family and others who helped out in the case also comes through well.

They called this creep a "peeping tom", but that term doesn't fit as well as the more contemporary "stalker". This is the earliest of two true cases of so called "mountain men" abducting young women solely to satisfy their twisted need for companionship. It's a fascinating, never a dull moment tale. I'm a stickler for historical accuracy and there are mostly positives here: red lights (not blue) on police cars, a transistor radio and an absence of words and terms not used in the mid 60s. The one gaffe is a red, white and blue basketball next to the porch. It wasn't until the next summer that the ABA introduced the tri colored ball.