The Yearling

This wonderful film is one of a handful that has the power to call me back to my childhood days and wrap me in warm memories of my Mom, Dad and little brother sitting around the television on Saturday night, watching the late show.

From the opening scenes of this beautifully photographed movie I found myself caught-up in the intriguing post Civil War story of a boy and his pet faun and their fantastic adventures on a scruffy Florida Everglades farm. The film stars Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman and Claude Jarman in the lead roles, with some of Hollywood's best character actors in the supporting roles.

Peck gives an Oscar caliber performance as the warmhearted father who does his best to make a better life for his family, with absolutely no help from the elements, which surround them. Jane Wyman brilliantly plays Orry, the hardened mother and wife who is so embittered by past tragedies in her life that she is unable to show any love for her one surviving child for fear of losing him as well. And Claude Jarman plays Jodie, the wistful young boy who is just one summer away from adolescence and all the emotional growing pains that come with it.

This story is laced with excitement and adventure sure to please the kids, but each of the adventures is also a great lesson in life that will stay with them for years to come. The cinematography is spectacular and received a well-deserved Academy Award and the wildlife scenes are incredible as well. Just watching Jodie romp through the woods with his faun is a joyous site to behold. The way Orry finally begins letting herself love her son will bring tears to your eyes. This movie was one of the most emotional experiences of my young life and I believe I am a better person from the lessons learned here.

I highly recommend this film, it is one to be experienced with your entire family.

This is one of the great lost films. I run into ridicule every time I tell people it's one of my favourite films, but what a great film it is. It's got more treacle than Lyles, very sentimental and heart rendering, but I love it for that. It's also got one of the movie worlds most immortal lines when Ma Forester says of her recently deceased physically handicapped son "I lost ma boy!...ma poor crookedly boy". What a movie, takes me back every time. The essence of the main characters is perfectly portrayed by the main leads of Gregory Peck and Jayne Wyman, but Claude Jarman Jnr as Jody has a special place in my childhood. He plays the head-strong boy to perfection, with great depth and warmth. The Yearling will always live on.

This movie comes together and holds up even after nearly 60 years. This is a rural coming of age movie. Gregory Peck is perfect as the hard-working spare-looking father of a son who is on the brink of man-hood. He introduces him to women, fights, and necessary survival skills. There are difficult lessons. Peck is forced to shoot a doe in order to save his own life. He is a man in love with his child's growth process -- not forgetting what being a child is like, yet knowing that harsh lessons are necessary. Jane Wyman plays a wife who has hardened herself against being hurt by turning hard. Who can forget the scene showing the row of headstones. Claude Jarman is perfect as the yearling adolescent. His performance was so wonderful in this film that I think it is one ofthe reasons his career never reached superstar. He is able to depict the coltish behavior of the adolescent male perfectly. This movie remains a classic because the dialogue, the acting and the scenery all come together perfectly. Sometimes an actor becomes a star and then all one sees in the movie is the star's personality. This movie catches both Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman without their superstar persona. They are immersed in the roles; it's impossible to imagine any other performers in the roles; and it's one of the reasons the remake simply didn't do well.

Rightfully considered to be one of the premier family films of all time, this is a handsome adaptation of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings book about a Florida farm family surviving day-to-day hardships. Superbly directed by Clarence Brown, who brings the same "children's book" ambiance to the project as he did with "National Velvet". Well-acted and stunningly photographed on location (by Leonard Smith and Charles Rosher, who won Oscars). Young Claude Jarman, Jr. becomes attached to a troublesome baby deer, and his teary devotion is quite heart-rending. Some of the dialogue is fearsome, and, yes, it's a corny picture in an old-fashioned vein, however it is certainly worth-seeing, even for cynics. *** from ****

If you want a movie you can sit down with your kids and really enjoy this film would be it!! It is so hard to find a film now that shows love, working to keep family and food, poisitive outlooks. There is the mom who is closed off from some tragities of her own...but a door opens up for her and helps her lead to love. I want my kids to one day see this film, they so far are pretty positive and would love to see the boy (Jody) running around so free and happy, plus there are many animals in here that kids just love to see!!! Although the ending like most classics are hard to swallow a lot comes from a bad thing, sometimes it seems to take a really sad thing to happen before people can change and truly come together.