Shipwrecked (1990)
"Haakon Haakonsen" (original title)

A young Norwegian boy in 1850's England goes to work as a cabin boy and discovers some of his shipmates are actually pirates.

Director:

Nils Gaup

Writers:

O.V. Falck-Ytter (book), Nils Gaup (screenplay),

Stars:

Stian Smestad, Gabriel Byrne, Louisa Milwood-Haigh

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stian Smestad	...	Haakon Haakonsen
Gabriel Byrne	...	Lt. John Merrick
Louisa Milwood-Haigh	...	Mary (as Louisa Haigh)
Trond Peter Stamsø Munch	...	Jens
Bjørn Sundquist	...	Mr. Håkonsen
Eva von Hanno	...	Mrs. Håkonsen
Kjell Stormoen	...	The Captain
Karl Sundby	...	Bosun
Knut Walle	...	Berg
Harald Brenna	...	Steine
John Sigurd Kristensen	...	Bakken
Geo von Krogh	...	Old Salt
Frank Krog	...	Wernes
Joachim Rafaelsen	...	Ole
Guy Fithen	...	Thatcher

Storyline

Haakon Haakonsen didn't want to go to sea so young, but when his father, a Norwegian sailor, comes home with a badly wounded foot in the 1850s, the Haakonsen family finances require him to enlist as ship boy aboard a British ship under Royal Navy authority. After some hazing he buckles up to learn the hard work and gets accepted by the rough crew. Then Royal Navy lieutenant John Merrick is welcomed to take charge of security on a long voyage to Sidney and Calcutta, through pirates-infested waters, but Haakon distrusts him after finding out that he packed concealed weapons; indeed Merrick secretly poisons the captain. Haakon and his guardian angel, his father's best mate Jens, were about to feel the claw of the cat for helping a stowaway when a rock wrecks the ship. Haakon washes up an island where he finds a pirates treasure and weapons.

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Plot Keywords:

ship | boy | island | pirate | treasure | 

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Taglines:

A quest for survival that became the adventure of a lifetime.

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Genres:

Adventure | Family

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Norway Sweden USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

A nagy hajótörés

Filming Locations:

Fiji

Box Office

Budget:

NOK 60,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 244,787 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmkameratene A/S, Svensk Filmindustri (SF), Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A dramatization by Norwegian author O. V. Falck-Ytter's "Haakon Haakonsen. En norsk Robinson" (Haakon Haakonsen. A Norwegian Robinson), an action-adventure story aimed at youths, it was inspired by Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" and published in 1873.

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Goofs

When Merrick shoots the chain on the ship, the chain breaks before his gun fires.

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Quotes

[Håkon is rescuing Mary from a native tribe]
Mary: Håkon! Håkon, I knew you were alive!
Håkon: This is no time for a reunion.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Hard Way/Closet Land/New Jack City/Shipwrecked/Ju Dou (1991)

User Reviews

Highly entertaining -- great family film that bears repeat viewings

Good, clean fun for the family. We first watched this movie 10 years ago when my kids were under 6. They're all teenagers now and they still enjoy this movie. It's a great adventure story that's a throwback to a simpler type of movie-making, relying on character development and plot rather than special effects. The villains aren't cartoons, and Haakon is a believable protagonist. If sex, graphic violence, gratuitous profanity, and anti-heroes are your idea of a good time, you'll hate this movie. But if you crave films that you wouldn't be embarrassed to have three or four generations watch, you'll love this one -- again and again.

PS -- the thing with Haakon's shoes IS hilarious!