The Bear (1988)

An orphan bear cub hooks up with an adult male as they try to dodge human hunters.

Director:

Jean-Jacques Annaud

Writers:

James Oliver Curwood (novel), Gérard Brach (screenplay)

Stars:

Tchéky Karyo, Bart the Bear, Youk the Bear

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bart the Bear	...	The Kodiak Bear
Youk the Bear	...	The Bear Cub
Tchéky Karyo	...	Tom
Jack Wallace	...	Bill
André Lacombe	...	Le chasseur aux chiens

Storyline

The director of Quest for Fire (1981) creates yet another film in nature with almost no human dialogue in this picturesque story of an orphaned bear cub who is adopted by an adult male bear and must avoid hunters. Bart the Bear stars in this anthropomorphic fantasy.

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Plot Keywords:

bear | 19th century | survival | hunting | bear attack | 

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Taglines:

He's an orphan... at the start of a journey. A journey to survive.

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 October 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bear

Filming Locations:

Austria

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,676,530, 29 October 1989, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$31,753,898

Company Credits

Production Co:

Price,Renn Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 89 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in the Dolomites mountains in Italy.

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Goofs

A pair of wild sable ferrets can be seen in a tree immediately after the adult grizzly kills the elk. But sable ferrets are not indigenous to North America.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bill: [examining bear tracks] That's a huge male; bet he's more'n fifteen hundred pounds.

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Connections

Referenced in Une américaine à Paris (2005)

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Soundtracks

End Title Theme
Music adapted from "June: Barcarolle"
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (uncredited), from "The Seasons"
Played by Orchestra

User Reviews

A movie that really cares about animals

The movie really cares about animals as the movie portrays them in a light that only an animal lover would. I should know because I love animals. Perhaps the most telling thing about the movie is it almost made from the viewpoint of a bear. The humans are part of the plot and are not the plot itself. The movie avoids two mistakes all animal movies seem to fall prey to(pun intended): silly talking animals or animal melodrama with significant roles for people. The score is perfect and the closing scene is nothing but heart warming and fulfilling.

As a scientist and as a thinking sentient being, the movie portrays bears in the same way science is beginning to. Feeling and maybe maybe thinking. The only difference between us and them is a matter of degrees (speech, tools).They have feelings and thoughts as well.

JK