Set in Alabama but filmed in and around Covington and Mandeville, Louisiana, just north of Lake Pontchartrain. Also some in Fair Hope, Alabama. I saw it via Netflix streaming movies.
Jimmy Bennett is the title character, Moon Blake. As the movie opens we see him pushing a wheelbarrow with a body in it, and digging a grave to bury his dad, 'Pap', who had just died. Then a short flashback scene shows how his dad was distrusting of everyone, particularly "the government" and taught Moon to never take anything from anyone, that way you'll never owe anything to anyone. They lived off the land, with a small cave on public land as their home. But one day while fishing Pap fell and broke his leg badly, with a broken bone protruding. His only option was to die soon from the infection.
So the movie is really about Moon and what will become of his life now that he, maybe 11 years old, is now on his own. His dad had told him to go somewhere else to live his life in isolation, maybe Montana or Wyoming, or better yet, Alaska where a man could still get homestead land. So that becomes Moon's plan, Alaska once it warmed up. Moon was very resourceful, but had no idea what a journey to Alaska would entail.
Out of the forest Moon's first encounter is with John Goodman as Mr. Wellington who does what any responsible adult would do, call the authorities. Moon ends up in a home for boys, surrounded with razor wire like a prison, but he is determined to figure out an escape. And he does.
The mean guy in all this is Clint Howard as Constable Sanders who picks up Moon and sees that he gets to the home for boys. After Moon escapes there is an other scene where Moon outwits Sanders and the tracking bloodhound, eventually making the dog his pet.
Not a great movie but young Jimmy Bennet carries it well. It ends with a good dose of family values.
SPOILERS: As Moon meets other kids, including the warden's cute daughter, and some of the adults, he begins to have doubts of his dad's advice, to remain alone, hiding out, avoiding social contact. Mr Wellington turns out to be a lawyer and helps Moon with his issues. And in the end a family in Mobile, his dad's kin with two kids already, come to get Moon and take him in as part of their family. Moon hugs each, he has made the transformation and now accepts family and friends as a desirable state of life.
Jimmy Bennett is the title character, Moon Blake. As the movie opens we see him pushing a wheelbarrow with a body in it, and digging a grave to bury his dad, 'Pap', who had just died. Then a short flashback scene shows how his dad was distrusting of everyone, particularly "the government" and taught Moon to never take anything from anyone, that way you'll never owe anything to anyone. They lived off the land, with a small cave on public land as their home. But one day while fishing Pap fell and broke his leg badly, with a broken bone protruding. His only option was to die soon from the infection.
So the movie is really about Moon and what will become of his life now that he, maybe 11 years old, is now on his own. His dad had told him to go somewhere else to live his life in isolation, maybe Montana or Wyoming, or better yet, Alaska where a man could still get homestead land. So that becomes Moon's plan, Alaska once it warmed up. Moon was very resourceful, but had no idea what a journey to Alaska would entail.
Out of the forest Moon's first encounter is with John Goodman as Mr. Wellington who does what any responsible adult would do, call the authorities. Moon ends up in a home for boys, surrounded with razor wire like a prison, but he is determined to figure out an escape. And he does.
The mean guy in all this is Clint Howard as Constable Sanders who picks up Moon and sees that he gets to the home for boys. After Moon escapes there is an other scene where Moon outwits Sanders and the tracking bloodhound, eventually making the dog his pet.
Not a great movie but young Jimmy Bennet carries it well. It ends with a good dose of family values.
SPOILERS: As Moon meets other kids, including the warden's cute daughter, and some of the adults, he begins to have doubts of his dad's advice, to remain alone, hiding out, avoiding social contact. Mr Wellington turns out to be a lawyer and helps Moon with his issues. And in the end a family in Mobile, his dad's kin with two kids already, come to get Moon and take him in as part of their family. Moon hugs each, he has made the transformation and now accepts family and friends as a desirable state of life.