IMDb RATING
6.0/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
The story of the life and work of the Canadian fur trapper-turned-conservationist who claimed to be an aboriginal North American.The story of the life and work of the Canadian fur trapper-turned-conservationist who claimed to be an aboriginal North American.The story of the life and work of the Canadian fur trapper-turned-conservationist who claimed to be an aboriginal North American.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 5 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
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Featured reviews
I know some people think the movie is boring but I disagree. It is a biography of a very complex and extraordinary person. I liked the characters in the film and think that leaving parts of Archie's life a mystery captured his humanity. I don't think the purpose of a good biography should be the detailing of someone's life but rather the complexities and relationships that make them interesting. And what is more fascinating than someone so successfully reinventing themselves? "Men become what they dream - you have dreamed well." Good job to Lord Attenborough. I also wanted to mention that Nathaniel Arcand really stood out to me as a charismatic actor and I hope to see him in more films.
We viewed the vcr and found it to be fascinating. Not knowing anything about this true story, I thought: "Oh, no, P.Brosnan as an American Indian ('red' Indian in the film), what a bad choice" until I discovered the truth about Grey Owl. The film does a good job of demonstrating the dignity of these native peoples and undermining the racist myths about them. And Annie Galipeau, WOW, what a beauty, and very convincing as an Indian woman (I believe she is French-Canadian; she sure reverts to the all-too familiar speech of such). In spite, of Brosnan's detached, grunting style, in the end he comes through convincingly as a passionate, dedicated man. The plot is a little weak in demostrating his conversion from trapper to animal coservationist. Good film, highly recommended.
The only way a writer could present the conservationist case in the economic slump of the 1930s was by masquerading as primitive man. The story of Grey Owl is a fresh angle on the 20th century's game with the image and reality of the American native. He is also a case study in the way the UK mass media build up celebrities only to tear them down, like the old pagan gods of the year. His story also vibrates with the long-hairs of the 1960s, who had never heard of him, but found the identical vocation. If you don't care about that, this is a fine love story, and account of an identity crisis, in which a man resigns his pride to his woman, only to find that he has won the throne of her heart.
All in all a good film and better for the fact that had the film not been made the story might remain hidden to the masses. Brosnan does a good job as the native American with a hidden past and the photography is stunning. To some, this may be too whimsical, to others boring - for me it is a gentle, well-told tale and perfect for family viewing. Now that's not something you get a lot of recently.
Saw this movie on VHS. Relaxing movie with wonderful scenery. Grey Owl wrote many books. I plan on getting some of them. Brosnan does a great job, after all the charactor is supposed to be English. It shows the irony in the beliefs of non-Indians. Should be of interest to people who care out ecology.
Did you know
- TriviaThe autobiography "Grey Owl and Me" by Canadian environmentalist Hap Wilson devotes a chapter to the author's time working on this film. Wilson served as Pierce Brosnan's personal skills trainer.
- GoofsWhen Grey Owl's publisher Champlin arrives by airplane, to convince Grey Owl to go on tour in England, the airplane shown is clearly a DeHavilland DHC-2 "Beaver" on floats. This scene is set in approximately 1935, but the DeHavilland Beaver did not make its first flight until 1947.
- Quotes
Pow Wow Chief: Men become what they dream... you have dreamed well.
[1:37:30]
- ConnectionsFeatured in Heritage Minutes: Grey Owl (1999)
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Сіра сова
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $30,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $632,617
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $162,360
- Oct 3, 1999
- Gross worldwide
- $632,617
- Runtime
- 1h 58m(118 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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