Customer Reviews
Where the Red Fern Grows DVD 
2008-07-07
I showed this movie to my 4th graders after reading the book to them. They were a little disappointed with the movie. It left out some crucial scenes that lead the reader/watcher to make a connection to Billy and so the movie is not as meaningful as the book. There were lots of tears in the book, not so many during the movie. My students were also disappointed in the lack of details of some of the biggest scenes in the book, the boy dying with the ax, the hunting competion, the death scene. It's a good movie, but no where near as good as the book.
Family Favorite 
2008-06-16
This version of Where The Red Fern Grows is much more like the book than the older version. It shows more of the hard work and determined effort that went into getting the dogs. The whole family loves it, it was a tear jerker too, because we recently lost our Little Ann.
movie review 2008-04-12
Our daughter has truly enjoyed this movie. She has watched it numerous times since receiving it in the mail.
Best Movie ever 2008-03-14
Where The Red Fern Grows tell the exciting story of a young 10 year old boy named Billy Coleman (Joe Ashton). Billy lives in the Ozark Mountains during the great depression. When Billy saved enough money to buy two red-bone coonhound's he then called them old Dan and little Ann. After Billy trained the pair of hound's, they went huntin almost every night. Billy and the hounds became best friends. You can buy the DVD at the cost of $19.98. The movie is 86 minutes long. Sam Pillsbury and Lyman Dayton were the directors.
Adapted from an American Classic 
2008-02-26
Billy Coleman, a ten-year-old boy, wanted a pair of hunting dogs. Following his grandfather's advice, Billy worked hard and saved until he had enough money to buy them. The movie does not really show you that it took Billy two years to earn this money. Once he gets the dogs, Billy patiently trains them to hunt and they become the best in the state. Being best, however, is not always enough as love given and returned form the basis of true caring and courage. The hunting dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann are the true stars of this movie.
Feels like a Hallmark made for TV Movie 2008-02-24
"The Roots of a Classic" – Explore the story’s journey from book to film through interviews with the author’s wife and filmmakers. "Lights, Camera, Animals" – See how the film’s animal stars were "discovered" and trained for their roles.
Fair Remake 
2007-11-11
I liked this movie for several reasons, though I am unable to tell you that this movie is even above average. This movie contains a solid flavor of the Midwest and the settings look very real and appropriate. The dogs were appropriately charming and the scenes with the cougar were excellent. I thought Joseph Ashton, Dabney Coleman and Ned Beatty all did a nice job in their roles. Unfortunately, the script had weak moments and the movie was filled with singers pretending to be actors.
We open this movie with a significantly older Billy Coleman (Kris Kristofferson) telling us about dogs and leading us into the depression in the Ozark region of Oklahoma. Young Billy Coleman (Ashton) has a powerful desire to own coon dogs, and he works and saves until he has the money to buy a pair of coon dog pups.
Brief aside: Dave Matthews plays Will Coleman, Billy's dad, and Renee Faia plays Jenny Coleman, Billy's mom. Unfortunately, several other actors in this movie, particularly the raccoons, the dogs and probably the cougar exceed the acting abilities of both singers. Every time Jenny Coleman came on the screen I cringed (though she is quite pretty). Dave Matthews should stick with singing rock music and avoid roles like this.
Ignoring the fill-in parents, Billy has a lot of fun training his pups to be champion coon dogs, aided by Grandpa (Dabney Coleman) and tolerated by just about everyone else. The next thing you know we have bets and competitions and run-ins with mysterious raccoons and the local neighborhood no-goods. The heart of this movie will always be the dogs and the boy who loves them. I am unable to say much more without giving away the ending, but I have to tell you that I was on the verge of tears at the end.
This movie has lots of stuff going for it. The animals are great, Joseph Ashton is a natural as Billy, Dabney Coleman and Ned Beatty know their stuff, and even Kris Kristofferson, who usually has the acting range of a fern, did a fine job. The scene where a young boy dies is excellent, even if it was a bit shocking and disturbing. The animal trainers really knew what they were doing and the scenes involving the animals were either charming or poignant. The scenery in Oklahoma was excellent and reminded me again of how beautiful the Ozarks are.
Unfortunately, many of the supporting actors did a lot of standing or had vague expressions on their face and made me wonder why they were even required in the movie at all. Alternating between the more powerful performances in the film and the weaker performances was disconcerting at best, and disappointing at most.
I still give this film a positive recommendation because the film captures the essence of Wilson Rawls's book. I loved Joseph Ashton and his dogs. I also enjoyed the extras, which included a making of feature showing Joseph Ashton talking with three of the animal trainers and hearing explanations of how some of the scenes were filmed. Another feature featured an interview with Wilson Rawls's widow Sophie along with local residents in Oklahoma and cast members.
Enjoy!
Good but not for weeuns 2007-10-02
Good flick, well-done for a movie of this genre. It does have the death of a young boy in it, which may not be suitable for kids under 8 or so.
Good Story Line 2007-07-08
This version stuck closer to the book than the orginal 1974 version. It is a great extra for a class whose is reading the novel. Overall, worth the money.
Not nearly as good as the book 2007-02-27
This book lacks so much in emotion and drama. Whereas I cried my eyes out in the book (every time I read it), I didn't even come close in the movie. They left out so many important things. I HATE how they changed the hunt. That was one of the best parts of the novel. I got this to show to my fifth grade class. They agree the book was so much better!
