The Snow Walker 2003

     This film is based on the book Walk Well 1953 by Charlie Halliday.  A former WWII fighter pilot is now a Yellowknife based bush pilot.  Like many of the white residents in the area, he does not associate with the Inuit people except for getting what he needs from them in bartering.  On a personal plane trip, he runs across a small family of nomadic Inuit people.  There woman in the group and her name is Kanaalaq.  Charlie suspects that she has tuberculosis?  In exchange for some ivory, Charlie agrees to fly her to a hospital in Yellowknife.  During their trip back to the city, Charlie is forced to make a crash landing when the plane develops mechanical problems.  Although both Charlie and Kanaalaq are unharmed by the crash, the plane is totaled and they are in the middle of nowhere.  The radio doesn't seem to be working and they have a meager amount of supplies.  Charlie's whereabouts are probably unknown to others since they made a detour from his original route.  Also, they can't communicate with each other as Kanaalaq only knows a few words of English.  Charlie doesn't know any words in Kanaala’s language.

     Search parties try to find the downed plane but Charlie decides to trek overland.  He promises Kanaalaq he will return with help.  Despite her weakened conditions, she follows Charlie and nurses him back to health when insects, cold and starvation threaten to kill him shortly after he leaves.  Kanaalaq teaches him the skills he will need to survive and he comes to respect her wisdom and love her valiant spirit as they continue into the wilderness.  Each person will find a startling and solitary destiny in the beautiful and stark tundra.  This is a moving and inspiring adventure.

      Farley Mowat's writing is his quest to understand the often-forgotten native people of this vast arctic wilderness.  He allows the people to describe in their own words the adventures they experience as they struggle to survive in an isolated and untamed land.  Stories of survival and courage, superstition and fate, uncompromising loyalty to family and tribe are shown.  This offers a vivid portrait of a people whose existence is often beyond the comprehension of modern man.  5* (I really liked this movie)

103 min, Adventure directed, written by Charles Martin Smith and also written by Farley Mowat with Barry Pepper, Anabella Piugattuk, James Cromwell, Kiersten Warren, Jon Gries, Robin Dunne, Malcolm Scott, Michael Buble, Brad Sihvon, Greg Spoittiswood, Samson Jorah, William MacDonald, Mariano Aupilardjuk, Peter Henry Arnstsiaq, Peter Ipkornerk.

Note:  Goodreads gives the book 4.04* out of 5* with 685 ratings and 57 reviews, Imdb 7.3* out of 10* with 10,120 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 86% with 14 critic 78% with 4641 audience scores, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 1143 ratings, dove.org sex 3*, language 5* violence 3*, drugs 2*, nudity 3*, survival issues dealing with death 1*.

Special Note:  James Cromwell in the role of Walter Shepherd began his carer in theater and he did everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays.  He began appearing on Television in 1974 and he had a recurring role as Archie Bunker’s friend Stretch Cunningham on All in the Family 1971.  Some of his more noted film roles have been in Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and the surprise classic about a charming pig in Babe (1995).  He received some of the best reviews of his career for his role as a corrupt and conniving police captain in L.A. Confidential (1997).

Trivia:  A tame reindeer herd stood in for the wild caribou during the hunt scene.  Winter scenes were shot in -28 C (-18 F) weather -45 C (-49 F) with the wind chill.  Annabella Piugattuk in the role of Kanaalaq the Inuit woman speaks Inuktitut as her first language.  James Cromwell and Barry Pepper both appeared in The Green Mile 1999.