Wild America (1997)

Director:

William Dear

Writer (WGA):

David Michael Wieger (written by)

Release Date:

2 July 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

take a ride on the wild side.

Plot:

Three brothers - Marshall, Marty and Mark dream of becoming naturalists and portraying animal life of America...

Plot Keywords:

Brother Brother Relationship | Filmmaking

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jonathan Taylor Thomas	...	Marshall Stouffer
Devon Sawa	...	Mark Stouffer
Scott Bairstow	...	Marty Stouffer Jr.
Frances Fisher	...	Agnes Stouffer
Jamey Sheridan	...	Marty Stouffer, Sr.
Tracey Walter	...	Leon the Stouffers' Farmhand & Neighbor
Don Stroud	...	Stango the Aligator Man
Zack Ward	...	D.C.
Claudia Stedelin	...	Carrie Stokes
Anastasia Spivey	...	Donna Jo
Leighanne Littrell	...	Tanna Stewert (as Leighanne Wallace)
Amy Lee Douglas	...	Julie Anne
Sonny Shroyer	...	Bud
Rachel Fowler	...	Sarah
Jennifer Crumbley	...	Beby
Maggie Blackkettle	...	Old Native Indian Woman
Larry Reese	...	Dr. Pierce
Susan Dear	...	Diana Pierce
Nadine Browning	...	Woman at Gravesite
Norman Taber	...	D.C. Gang Member
Devon Dear	...	Swoon Girl #1
Jennifer Mickelson	...	Swoon Girl #2
Emily Messmer	...	Swoon Girl #3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ashley Holliday	...	Mountain Family Daughter (as Ashley Popelka)
Danny Glover	...	Bigfoot the Mountain Man (uncredited)
Mark Stouffer	...	Ruffian (uncredited)
Marshall Stouffer	...	Ruffian (uncredited)
Marty Stouffer	...	Ruffian (uncredited)

Directed by
William Dear

Writing credits (WGA)
David Michael Wieger		(written by)

Produced by
Gary Barber	....	executive producer
Kearie Peak	....	co-producer
James G. Robinson	....	producer
Irby Smith	....	producer
Mark Stouffer	....	producer
Steve Tisch	....	executive producer
Bill Todman Jr.	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joel McNeely

Cinematography by
David Burr		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
O. Nicholas Brown
Stuart H. Pappé		(as Stuart Pappé)

Casting by
Pam Dixon		(as Pam Dixon Mickelson)

Production Design by
Steven J. Jordan		(as Steven Jordan)

Art Direction by
Jack Ballance

Set Decoration by
Janice Blackie-Goodine

Costume Design by
Mary E. McLeod		(as Mary McLeod)

Makeup Department
Lynn Barber	....	makeup supervisor
Rachel Kick	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Eda Lishman	....	production manager
Todd P. Smith	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ingrid K. Behrens	....	second assistant director
Benjamin Rosenberg	....	first assistant director
Trevor Seitz	....	second assistant director: Canada
Mark Stouffer	....	second unit director
Richard Worden	....	third assistant director
Tom Zapata	....	assistant director

Art Department
Taylor Bennett	....	scenic artist (as Franklin T. Bennett)
Sean Bernard	....	painter
Sean Blackie	....	assistant set decorator
Kenneth Bryant	....	set dresser
John C. Cameron	....	assistant property master
Keith Darwin	....	scenic chargeman
Oliver Dear	....	storyboard artist
Susan Dennis	....	property assistant
Patrick Fuhrman	....	lead man
Dean Goodine	....	property master: Canada
Thomas V. Johnson	....	lead scenic artist
Christopher Kuder	....	property maker
Thomas A. Morris Jr.	....	construction coordinator
Bozydar Orszula	....	construction general foreman
James F. Oñate	....	scenic foreman
Melodi Petrigo	....	art department coordinator (as Melodi McGill)
Bruce Shibley	....	lead man
Ann Stacy	....	camera scenic
Scott D. Warner	....	propmaker
Cheree Welsh	....	art department coordinator

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christopher Assells	....	sound effects editor (as Clark Carlon Connor)
Karen M. Baker	....	first assistant sound editor
Steve Bartkowicz	....	re-recording engineer
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bob Bowman	....	assistant sound editor
Dino Dimuro	....	sound effects editor
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	adr editor
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	dialogue editor
Mary H. Ellis	....	sound
Per Hallberg	....	supervising sound editor
Alison Sanford	....	sound recordist
David Stanke	....	assistant sound editor
Lauren Stephens	....	dialogue editor
Lauren Stephens	....	sound editor
V.B. Paravati	....	sound dailies transfer (uncredited)
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Wayne Toth	....	special effects
Bob Trevino	....	effects assistant
Scott Mobley	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Greg Groenekamp	....	visual effects artist: Cineon
John R. McConnell	....	compositor: Pixel magic
Janet Quen	....	digital effects compositor
Ken Wilder	....	visual effects

Stunts
Oliver Dear	....	stunts
Marny Eng	....	stunt double: Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jim Finkbeiner	....	stunts
Michael Langlois	....	stunts
Kent W. Luttrell	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Allan Belyea	....	grip
Robert Beverlin	....	assistant camera
Lee Blasingame	....	lead assistant camera: "a" camera
Jim Bridges	....	still photographer
Chris Brow	....	electrician
T.C. Chapman	....	best boy electric: Alberta (as Tracey Chapman)
Dan Cornwall	....	gaffer: second unit
Stephen Crowley	....	best boy
Guy W. Elliott	....	lamp operator: Alberta
Tom Fendley	....	electrician
Rick Garbutt	....	camera operator: second unit
Bryan Greenberg	....	director of photography: additional photography
Brian Gunter	....	gaffer
Darryl Humber	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Martin Keough	....	lamp operator: Alberta
Corey Lee	....	best boy grip: second unit
Eric Leftridge	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Mark C. McManus	....	video assist operator
Tim Milligan	....	dolly grip: second unit
Bill Mills	....	camera operator: second unit
Jacqueline J. Nivens	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
William Rampey	....	grip
Riko Schatke	....	best boy grip
Clint Silzer	....	best boy grip: Alberta
Christopher G. Sprague	....	lamp operator: Canada
C. Ashley Sudge	....	dolly grip

Casting Department
Amy Gerber	....	casting associate
Kym Trowell	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Boyko	....	dresser
Cameron Doyle	....	key secound unit costumer
Leticia Sandoval	....	specialty costumes
Amanda Zenil	....	key set costumer

Editorial Department
Justin Bourret	....	assistant editor
Brett Carroll	....	assistant film editor
Bryan H. Carroll	....	first assistant editor
Steve Moe	....	assistant editor
Sandra Nash	....	assistant editor
Paisley Pappé-Iredell	....	first assistant editor (as Paisley Pappé)
Scott Wesley Ross	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Mark Berger	....	music supervisor (as Mark J. Berger)
Shawn Murphy	....	score mixer
Don Nemitz	....	orchestrator
David Slonaker	....	orchestrator
Jeanette Surga	....	music editor
Tom Villano	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Robert Ballentine	....	transportation captain: second unit
Dennis G. Carter	....	driver
Christie Chaplin	....	driver
Roy A. Grace	....	production driver
Doug Slupski	....	driver: set decorations
David Carlton White	....	Picture Car Wrangler/Fuel Truck Driver

Other crew
Bhagavan Antle	....	animal coordinator (as Doc Antle)
Bhagavan Antle	....	animal trainer
David Boysen	....	administrator
Kevin Richard Buxbaum	....	production accountant
Steve Cainas	....	assistant production coordinator
Lisa A. Campbell	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Al Cecere	....	animal coordinator
David Combs	....	studio teacher
Leslie Cowan	....	production coordinator
James O. Fraioli	....	assistant: Mr. Dear
E. Michael Hewett	....	location manager: Georgia and South Carolina
Gail Hunter	....	script supervisor
Robert M. Johnson	....	animal trainer
Elizabeth Maxwell	....	caterer
Michael Maxwell	....	caterer
Mark McCracken	....	animatronics: grizzly bear
Christine Papalexis	....	puppeteer
Mike Patlin	....	aerial coordinator
Michele Patsula	....	script supervisor: second unit
Senia Phillips	....	animal coordinator
Jacqui Popelka	....	production coordinator
Shannon Ragsdale	....	production assistant
Tim Rivers	....	animal coordinator
Cathy Sutherland	....	animal wrangler: Calgary

Production Companies

• Morgan Creek Productions
• Steve Tisch Company, The

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1999) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment (1997) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (1998) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Líder Films (Spain)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Roadshow Entertainment
• Warner Bros. (1998) (Argentina) (all media)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• EFX Group
• K.N.B. Effects Group

Other Companies

• Home on the Range  catering
• Locations...+  location scouting and management
• Transition Music  music provided by
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

"Born to Be Wild" - Japan (English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language and some adventure peril

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:S | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:7 | UK:PG (video premiere) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alberta, Canada

Company:

Morgan Creek Productions

Trivia:

Francis Fisher plays Jonathan Taylor Thomas's character's mother in this film. In 1991 she was cast as his character's mother in the show "Home Improvement", but was replaced due to poor early audience reaction to her.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When the Dad crashes his big rig truck, the shot inside the cab reveals a woman to his right with a lit cigarette in her hand. She grabs him on the right shoulder and then he swerves to the left. Don't know if she is giving him a cue to swerve or she is the "hidden" girlfriend. We never see her again though!

Quotes:

Marty Stouffer:No, Mom, he's fine, he just fell down a mountain.

Movie Connections:

References The Predators (1976) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Take It Off

loved it!

I give this movie a 9 out of 10! I can't believe this movie didn't make hardly any money cause it sure was good. Whenever I am in the mood to watch a movie, it is always Wild America. I don't know what it is about this movie but it is just exciting, adventurous, funny, and action packed all rolled up into one. Scott Bairstow, Devon Sawa, and Johnathan Taylor Thomas were great in this movie. I recommend it to anyone all ages. I first saw it when I was about 5 years old and I fell in love with it. Since then it has been one of the family favorites and we watch it all the time. We are a big movie family so we watch movies every single night together. We've seen this one at least 50 times.