Trouble River

Filmed in 1977, this live-action adventure, based on the young adult novel by Betsy Byars, has a simple story line--a boy and his dog and his gloomy seer Grandmother are left home alone on the farm, where, after being spooked by renegades, they flee down the river on a raft and make it to safety in time for the credits. For being shot on location in Bend, Oregon over 20 years ago, the cinematography has held up fairly well, but the production has muddy sound and, frankly, some editing problems. In one scene, for example, the dog falls overboard; in the next, the dog is back and nobody's the wiser. Too, when the boy and grandma are reunited with ma and pa, there's a lot of back-slapping, but nobody says, "hey, what the heck happened to you two?" Finally, much of the dialogue--consisting of phrases such as "Hold on boy!" and "Hold on Grandma!" --wouldn't pass muster with today's young audiences. Still, this Afterschool Special was highly regarded in its day and is based on a novel by one of the most popular young adult authors of the past quarter century, so consider this a strong optional purchase. Aud: E, I, P. (N. Plympton)