Live Action Discussions: The Adventures of Huck Finn

[ichabod]

<center>

The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993)



Originally released - 2 April 1993
Director - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0814085/">Stephen Sommers</a>

Based on the novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... ovemz">The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</a> by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0878494/">Mark Twain</a>

Main Cast
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000704/">Elijah Wood</a> - Huck Finn
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005524/">Courtney B. Vance</a> - Jim
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001059/">Robbie Coltrane</a> - The Duke
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001673/">Jason Robards</a> - The King
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000162/">Anne Heche</a> - Mary Jane Wilks
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000579/">Ron Perlman</a> - Pap Finn
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0304000/">James Gammon</a> - Deputy Hines
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0412374/">Dana Ivey</a> - Widow Douglas

Domestic Gross - $24,103,594 ($38,309,576 adjusted)</center>

Walt Disney Pictures Presents THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN, an action-packed adaptation of Mark Twain`s sweeping adventure. It`s the unforgettable story of two unlikely friends, a mischievous boy and a runaway slave, on a wild trip down the mighty Mississippi River. On their treacherous journey to freedom, they run into an entertaining assortment of offbeat characters, and face one incredible adventure after another. You won`t want to miss this sensational telling of Twain`s classic tale - a fun-filled mix of thrills and excitement!

-------------------------------------

The Adventures of Huck Finn seems to be one of the many 90's films which is brushed under the carpet. Remember and Known of by few. Dwarfed by the Animation output and many sports based underdog stories, this little gem made only a modest impact at the box office.

Now I've never read the book by Mark Twain so cannot compare it this film adaptation to the original text. However if the book is as good as the film is, there's no wonder it is a classic. Having first stumbled across the film about 3 years back when it was shown on TV, I didn't even know it was a Disney film having missed the first five minutes. But I was enthralled, but I never knew what film it was untill by chance I picked up the DVD in a sale and realised it was the same film I had seen on TV.

There is a wonderful cast, now granted I've never really liked Elijah Wood much and I think he happens to ruin most of the film's he's in, but I can stand him in this, well just. The cast manage to bring both the comedic bumbling moments alongside with the grim realism of the story's themes without them feeling uncomfortable.

And themes there be. From Huck's abusive father, his dead mother, kidnap, Huck faking his own death, family fueds, robbery, underhand deals, murder and of course the main theme, the issue of Jim the runaway slave. The lives of slaves, being bought and sold as their master's wish and being whipped as punishment's form the centre of the story as Jim faces death after running away and The harsh working and living conditions slaves face. The moral of the book is that just because someone says something is right it doesn't make it right, an obvious reference to the issue of slavery.The story is so rich in plot, as Huck and Jim drfit down the river they get tangled in one escapade and then float on to another, many of the events would be worthy of a story of their own.

A wonderful mix of both comedy and drama, The Adventures of Huck Finn is a film I'm sure I'll watch many more times.
------------------------------------------------------
Next time: Old Yeller

Previous Live Action Discussions:
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... ns">20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 931">Babes in Toyland</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... art=0">The Country Bears</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 15">Freaky Friday (2003)</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... Greyfriars Bobby</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 389">Honey, I Shrunk the Kids</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... dnapped</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 17501">The Mighty Ducks</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... =0">Pete's Dragon</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 0">Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 32">Return to Oz</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 18028">The Santa Clause</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 4">Secrets of Life</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... ">Snowball Express</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 17604">The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... ">Treasure Island</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 0">Tron</a>
<a href="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... 17387">The Watcher in the Woods</a>

[slave2moonlight]

Oh, man, this is easily one of my favorite films of all time! The score by Bill Conti is beautiful! Still need to search Ebay for the CD soundtrack. Elijah Wood and Courtney B. Vance, as well as the rest of the cast, are fantastic. It even has a young Renee O'Connor (hottie) from Xena: Warrior Princess, and the always great Robbie Coltrane of Harry Potter fame teamed with Jason Robards as the Duke and the King. And, Ron Perlman makes a positively horrifying Pap Finn.

The book does get a little drawn out towards the end. This is definitely a sensitive, Disneyfied version, but the pace is much better, and even if it is greatly softened, it doesn't totally disregard the suffering of slaves all together, or other hard truths brought up in the book. In truth, though it IS Disneyfied to a degree, it's also pretty bold for a Disney film. If you want a close adaptation of the book, get "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," starring Patrick Day, for which there is a long and short version (the DVD version is hopefully the full version). But if you're mainly after the youthful adventure story, which is why I love Tom and Huck stories, then this version can't be beat. I used to have this on VHS, and the tape was nearly worn out by the time I got the DVD. It's perfect on a rainy night with oatmeal cookies baking in the oven.

[corrwill]

Yeah I LOVED this movie. They used to air it on Disney channel all the time. I taped it of course and have the score (great by the way) I think I might have had a crush on EW at the time ha ha. Good movie though.

[goofystitch]

I'm so glad you found the time to post this, Ichabod. I've always been a fan of the Tom/Huck stories. I read both books when I was in middle school and I don't remember anything important being cut out. Disney stayed pretty faithful to the book, but made it more PC.

It's ironic that this is posted the day before Easter because when this film came out, I went to see it on Easter Sunday with my neighbors. I remember sitting in the theater and in the opening when Huck says something like "Sit back and kick off your shoes," I put my feet on the seat in front of me and kicked my shoes off as a joke. I was 8 and it was hard for me to get my legs up, so I actually slid off the seat and landed on the cement with my legs up. It hurt, but it didn't ruin the movie.

I remember when "Tom and Huck" was released a few years later, I thought it was a brand new story. Like a sequel, so I was surprised when it turned out to just be "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" with a new title. I had always wished that Disney would have made that film first and made this one not long after so that Huck Finn could have been played by the same actor and Tom Sawyer could have been in Huck Finn like he was in the book (even though it was very brief in the begining).

I've always been a bigger fan of Tom Sawyer than Huck Finn, but when comparing the two movies, I prefer this to "Tom and Huck." The acting is better and the story translates to the screen a little easier. Much of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is about the games Tom and Huck would play, such as their Pirate adventure. When you get down to the bare story, it's basically just a about a misfit delinquent gaining acceptance. Huck Finn is much more adventurous. I also thought the acting in this film was much better than "Tom and Huck." And the score is great.

I can't wait until next week time when we discuss "Old Yeller."