Watch Lost in the Barrens For Free

Too much of everything

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film begins with our young star James (Nicholas Shields) being kicked out of the private school for financial reasons. He's sadly disappointed, but must go live with a relative Angus (Lee Campbell) in the back woods of Canada. I actually saw the sequel to this first, and searched out part one on amazon. It's so family-friendly, it hurts, but makes for a fine 90 minutes of viewing. Everyone is so polite, they even hand him a bag of sandwiches as they kick him out of the building. James narrates his own story in detail, so this is probably meant for a younger audience. He has many adventures, and learns life lessons the hard way, with Awasis, the Indian native as a guide. Very simple, plain story, so keep those expectations in check. Not bad, though. The beginning is pretty choppy, but it gets better as it goes along.Directed by Micheal Scott, who has been nominated for two Oscars, both for shorts prior to this. Story by Farley Mowat, who had written the novel. Looking over his works, he has written his stories based on the great outdoors. According to wikipedia, Mowat was a devoted naturalist and environmentalist. It also points out that the details in his books were a little shaky, and some of his claims may have been exaggerated.

A young man named Jamie is forced to leave his home and had to go live with his uncle deep in the woods, far from his usual lifestyle of sports and friends. He arrives there, only to detest the new lifestyle he must now get used to. He soon meets his uncle's friends, a tribe who is about to embark on a hunting trip as well as being the test for manhood for Awasis, the youngest. Jamie is pressured to join, despite his reluctance.When Jamie and Awasis become separated from the rest of the tribe, they embark on a mission to find them again, each having to overcome their intolerance for the other's ways. Their mission takes them through many obstacles, their biggest being the barrens, a vast expanse of tundra, wrought with hungry bears, freezing temperatures, and an unforgiving glare from the sun off the snow.Lost in the Barrens is a well made movie with decent acting and gorgeous scenery. Definitely a movie for people who enjoy the outdoors.

Poor Jamie (Nicholas Shields). First, he lost his parents to an auto accident. At the time, he was a student at an exclusive school in Toronto and he was able to stay because of his folk' trust fund. Now, alas, the money is gone, just as Jamie is near finishing school and is a star on sports' teams. Therefore, it is a shock when he is told he must leave the establishment and go live with his mother's brother in the wilderness of Manitoba! Talk about a lifestyle change! When the train pulls near his uncle's home, he and another lad, an Indian teen, is dropped off at the same time. This young man, it is assumed, has also been told to leave the school. After a long wait, Uncle Angus picks up Jamie and takes him back to his small, rustic cabin on Lake Winnepeg. There is no school, stores or anything resembling civilization nearby. After a rough beginning, Jamie accepts these changes. Yet, the bookish teen is very reluctant to join a hunting party to find fresh meat, which Angus' insists on. Even before the hunt begins, Jamie accidentally shoots his uncle in the behind, making it impossible for the older man to go. Jamie must go with the strange Indian teen and his father. Things get worse when the boys, egged on by Jamie, go off on their own and end up lost in the "barrens", a place where there are no trees or places of shelter. True, the Indian lad knows a few tricks of survival but will the boys make it home? This is quite a fine family movie, with excellent themes and settings. It has a nice groups of actors, including Grahame Greene, who perform very well. The Canadian interior looks sensational, even the barren lands, and the flick's obvious appreciation of Native American ways is very clear. It also offers fine lessons in learning to get along and understand those who are different from ourselves. Thus, find Lost! Your loved ones will discover its exciting story is just wonderful!

A well produced film in which survival and learning how to co-operate with each other in such harsh circumstances is the main theme here. It was amazing to see Jamie and Awasin work well together to survive against the elements the way they did. Sure, they both thought that they weren't going to make it out alive and it was hard to withstand all that. But when it all came down to it they both came through when they had to and as it turned out, they made it back to the cabin alive and well. However I think things would have been a lot different if they couldn't co-operate in the harsh environment together. Fortunately they came through despite the fact that they panicked most of the time.But........ anyways........ that's the reason why I gave this film a 7 out of 10.