The Man From Snowy River

Based on "Banjo" Patterson's cherished (Down Under, at any rate) Australian poem, this rousing 1982 coming-of-age frontier adventure stars Tom Burlinson as farm boy Jim, who must leave his mountain home to find work after his father's death. Signing on with a wealthy rancher, Jim gradually overcomes the taunts of the other ranch hands and eventually proves his mettle when the rancher's wild horse escapes into the mountains. Sigrid Thornton costars as the rancher's daughter, whose budding romance with Jim displeases dad (Kirk Douglas, a hoot in his dual role as the stern rancher and his grizzled, estranged brother). Presented in both anamorphic widescreen and pan and scan versions, this DVD does justice to the magnificent scenery and the thundering horse sequences. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)