The Journey of Natty Gann (1985)

In the 1930s, a tomboy runs away from her guardian to join her single father who is 2,000 miles away, where he has found work.

Director:

Jeremy Kagan

Writer:

Jeanne Rosenberg

Stars:

Meredith Salenger, John Cusack, Ray Wise

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meredith Salenger	...	Natty Gann
John Cusack	...	Harry
Ray Wise	...	Sol Gann
Lainie Kazan	...	Connie
Scatman Crothers	...	Sherman
Barry Miller	...	Parker
Verna Bloom	...	Farm Woman
Bruce M. Fischer	...	Charlie Linfield
John Finnegan	...	Logging Boss
Jack Rader	...	Employment Agent
Matthew Faison	...	Buzz
Jordan Pratt	...	Frankie
Zachary Ansley	...	Louie
Campbell Lane	...	Chicago Moderator
Max Trumpower	...	Chicago Worker

Storyline

Natty Gann is a 12-year-old Depression-era girl whose single father leaves her behind in Chicago while he goes to Washington State to look for work in the timber industry. Natty runs away from the guardian she was left with to follow Dad. She befriends and is befriended by a wolf that has been abused in dog fights, hops a freight train west, and is presumed dead when her wallet is found after the train crashes. Dad gets bitter and endangers himself in his new job. Meanwhile, Natty has a series of adventures and misadventures in various farmhouses, police stations, hobo camps, reform schools, and boxcars.

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Plot Keywords:

boy and his dog | girl and her dog | wolf hybrid | wolf dog | girl dog relationship | 

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Taglines:

Her name is Natty Gann. Two thousand miles of danger separate her from her father. Only love, hope and courage can help her find him.

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Genres:

Adventure | Family

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Disney's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Natty Gann

Filming Locations:

Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$490,318, 29 September 1985

Gross USA:

$9,708,373

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,708,373

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners II

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Horner replaced Elmer Bernstein as the film's music composer. According to the website Filmtracks, only two short bits of Bernstein's score remain in the picture.

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Goofs

After Sol tops off his first tree, he puts his axe on the top. He then climbs up to sit on the top, but the axe has disappeared.

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Quotes

Louie: Shh. Hold your ears.
Natty Gann: What?
Louie: Don't listen.
Natty Gann: Don't be dumb. I've heard a man pee before.
Louie: Yeah? Where?
Natty Gann: None of your business.

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Connections

Featured in Fun Factory: Episode #1.31 (1986)

User Reviews

One of Disney's Best!!!

I was waiting a long time to see this movie. Part of the reason why was that Disney made a poor decision by releasing this movie in pan and scan on DVD. After several failed attempts to convince Disney to release a widescreen version, I gave up and purchased a region-free DVD player and then purchased the region 2 version which was in widescreen.

All I can say was, it was worth it. Journey of Natty Gann is a wonderful movie and is perhaps one of Disney's best. The cast features Meredith Salenger, John Cusack, Ray Wise and Scatman Crothers who all put in terrific performances (special mention also goes out to Jed the dog who plays Natty's wolf companion). This movies also boasts some incredible outdoor photography and a memorable music score by James Horner.

The story is about a twelve year old girl named Natty (Meredith Salenger) who travels across 1930's America in search of her father. Along the way she has several adventures and meets up with another runaway named Harry (John Cusack).

I definitely recommend seeing this one.