| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Pierce Brosnan | ... | Archie Grey Owl | |
|
|
Stewart Bick | ... | Cyrus Finney |
| Vlasta Vrana | ... | Harry Champlin | |
|
|
Annie Galipeau | ... | Pony |
| Neil Kroetsch | ... | First Hunter | |
| Serge Houde | ... | Second Hunter | |
| Peter Colvey | ... | Hotel Guest | |
| Nathaniel Arcand | ... | Ned White Bear | |
| Jacques Lussier | ... | Hotel Manager | |
|
|
Lee-Roy Jacobs | ... | Hotel Porter |
| Jimmy Herman | ... | Chief Pete Misebi | |
| John Dunn-Hill | ... | Sim Hancock | |
| Graham Greene | ... | Jim Bernard | |
| Gordon Masten | ... | Gus Mitchell | |
|
|
Chip Chuipka | ... | First Trapper |
Archie Grey Owl is a trapper in Canada in the early 1930s when a young Iroquois woman from town asks him to teach her Indian ways. They live in the woods, where she is appalled at how trapped animals die. She adopts two orphaned beaver kits and helps Archie see his way to stop trapping. Instead, he works as a guide, a naturalist writer, and then the Canadian government hires him to save the beaver in a conserve by Lake Ajawaan in Prince Albert National Park. He writes a biography, which brings him attention in Canada and invitations to lecture in England. Before he leaves, he and Anahareo (Pony) marry. In England, his secret is revealed. Will Anahareo continue to love him? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
I saw the British premiere of this in Bridgend, South Wales - Richard Attenborough was met with generous applause, his film with polite applause. It is a film equally of the heart and of the head, with emotions and affecting performances never quite being allowed to get in the way of the beautiful photography.
Charming in its own way and with a fascinating tale to tell, Grey Owl never quite gets fired up in the same way as historical rivals like Braveheart and Titanic. And this, possibly shamefully, probably just ironically, would seem to be due to the very thing that Attenborough is keen to sell his own movie on - its lack of violence, action, sex and, above all, excitement.
Still, a graceful and involving film - one which deserves the tag 'worthy' more than many others.