The Ultra Geese

If nothing else, this video stands as a testament to the concoctive prowess of Hollywood. Billed as "the true story behind Fly Away Home," Ultra Geese catalogs the soaring adventures of Canadian ultralight pilot William Lishman as he escorts migratory geese south. But there is no horrific car crash, no motherless girl come to live with eccentric dad, no orphaned gaggle of goslings. Instead, we have a behavioral conditioning experiment, à la Konrad Lorenz, in which geese eggs are taken from nests, hoveled, hatched and hand fed, before ultimately being shepherded south in fall via a low-and slow-flying, homemade aircraft. Purpose, besides grist for Hollymill? To see if the imprinted geese will return to Canada on their own in spring. Questionable research notwithstanding, the video's magic moments are in the air, with magnificent footage of the Appalachians filmed at perilously low altitudes. We also experience a warm and fuzzy vibe from the farm folk who aid Lishman and the geese on their flight down. The video, however, bears serious sticker shock, and the familiarity of this thrice-told tale (it was also featured on ABC's 20/20) makes it tough to justify recommending for any but the largest collections. Aud: P. (W. Pierce)