Thursday, February 21, 1991
Friendship with wolves
Disney film documents relationship
between man and wildlife
b Christi Luden
The Collegian
The story of a boy and his dog
is definitely an old and trite theme.
Walt Disney, however, under the
direction of Randal Kleiser,
transforms that commonness into
a crisp and vibrant new film.
White Fang is set in the Gold
Rush days and stars a young man
(Ethan Hawke) looking for his
father's fortune. Along the road, he
finds manhood, hardship, and life
long friends.
When Jack Conway (Hawke)
first approaches Alex (Klaus
Brawndauer) and asks to go along
on this next jpurney, Alex
grudgingly refuses. After being
persuaded by a jolly old friend of
Jack's father, Alex finally agrees
to take the boy along.
Jack's first mountain-man
experience isn't a good one. He is
made fun of because he reads,
overturns a huge sled with a casket
containing a body and falls into an
ice cold river. Nearly dying from
hypothermia, Jack is saved by the
old man and a fire made with his
Name: Maureen Finn
Birthdate: February 15, 1966
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, PA
Current job position: Coordinator of Student Organizations
and Program Development
Very first job: Babysitting a couple of children in the
neighborhood.
Secret vice: The Simpsons
Three things that can always be found in your
refrigerator: Chicken, frozen yogurt, and grapefruit juice.
Movie you could see again any time: Anything with
Dustin Hoffman in it.
Book you could read again any time
Cities."
With whom would you most like to have dinner?:
Harrison Foul
Your ultimate dream vacation: Going on a cruise to Alaska
in the summer.
What actor would you have portray yourseif in a
movie based on your life?: Meg Ryan
Behrend's best kept secret: How beautiful the campus looks
each season.
Accomplishment you are proudest of: I graduated cum
laude, and I managed to make it through my undergraduate and
graduate years without "pulling an all-nighter."
People may be surprised to know that...As a child, I gave
my kindergarten teacher a lot of grief.
Things you could do without: People who have a negative
attitude.
precious books.
The hardships continue as the
three men are approached by
starving wolves. The old man is
mauled to death (off screen of
course. . . it is Walt Disney) and
the other two fall asleep only to
be awakened by beady eyes and
snarling teeth. This is the first of
many confrontations with these
savage beasts.
While Jack and Alex are
journeying through the cold
wilderness, a young cub, half dog
and half wolf, is trying to make it
on his own. After his mother's
death, White Fang is left alone to
fend for himself. The first scenes
with the cub are extremely similar
to last year's film The Bear.
White Fang is then caught by an
Indian and brought out of the
wilderness to become a work dog.
Jack's first formal meeting with
White Fang is when he and Alex
visit the Indian. Love at first sight
is the best way to describe the
relationship.
Young White Fang is later
taken by a mean, money-hungry
man interested in "training" him
Close With...
"A Tale of Two
The Collegian
to be a fighter. The training
consists of beating, teasing, and
ridiculing White Fang until he
becomes a vicious creature ready
to tear anything and everything
apart. These sad scenes go on until
young Jack visits the show and
saves White Fang from his death.
This is where their relationship
starts. Jack and Alex take White
Fang to Jack's father's cabin where
they are going to pan for gold. It
is here that Jack succeeds in
taming the vicious dog, Alex
succeeds in turning Jack into a
man, and both men succeed in
finding their fortunes.
One thing that makes this film
extremely worthwhile is the
gorgeous scenery. The wintery
landscape shots are breathtaking
and the size of the movie screen
only makes them more ominous.
The two young characters (Jack
and White Fang) have a lot in
common. Both are left in a cruel
world without guidance from
parents. Both have to learn hard
lessons in order to survive. And
both end up finding a true
friendship that lasts a lifetime.
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