With its unforgettably heroic story, its stunning cinematography, and acting performances that are uniformly excellent, THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is one thrilling adventure you won’t want to miss. Set during the 1880’s, when the Australian frontier was as wild and dangerous as the American West, the film follows the exploits of a handsome youth (Tom Burlinson) who sets out to tame a wild herd of horses. Taking on a challenge many men had attempted before him, he rides deep into the treacherous and untamed wilderness of his native timberlands where boys become men fast – or die trying. Featuring Kirk Douglas in a remakable dual role and highlighted by a climactic chase involving 40 horsemen and 90 wild stallioins thundering across snow-covered peaks.
Starring Kirk Douglas, Tom Burlinson, Terence Donovan.
Note: Predictable at times, but makes for a good family drama (“An old fashioned, relatively nonviolent male action Western.” – Roger Ebert). There is also [Return to Snowy River](http://amzn.to/1LIoxOE), “Australia’s breathtaking Victoria Alps set the backdrop for this spectacular epic saga. Tom Burlinson and Sigrid Thornton, two of Australia’s brightest film talents, star in a fast-paced, action-packed story of a stormy romance caught up in a violent feud between landowners. Acclaimed actor Brian Dennehy gives a gripping performance as the powerful patriarch determined to keep them apart. Visually unforgettable and packed with rugged adventure and masterful stuntwork, RETURN TO SNOWY RIVER is a thrilling and memorable film.”
Parents need to know that this family classic is a coming-of-age Western and includes a few violent or disturbing scenes (a father dies, a young woman is slapped by her father, a group of cattle hands brawls in close quarters). Expect a few strong words (“damn,” “bulls–t”), too. There’s a slow-building romance and some taunting language about women and poor men, but otherwise this is a tween-friendly tale about wild horses and a young man and woman who fall in love despite the odds stacked against them.- Common Sense Media