The Yearling (1946)

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

There's a lot to like about this film, as well as some things that I didn't like. I had long avoided watching this film, probably because of seeing it in black and white on t.v. when I was young. Seeing it in color...what a difference! The photography is stunning, and in my view, remarkable, particularly in scenes such as the bear chase. My mother lived in Florida most of her life, in this general area, and although I only visited, I always thought central Florida with its swamps and lakes was always quite beautiful, particularly in the mornings. And, the acting here is fine, both on the part of Gregory Peck and the child.One of my complaints about this movie is how such a loving father would be married to such an old grump of a mother. I guess it's possible, but it just seems somewhat unlikely. And, personally, I just didn't care for child actor Claude Jarman.Maybe I'm just a softie -- even though I'm a retired school principal -- but in different ways I found both of these parents to be cruel-hearted. So, thumbs down to the story and the film...at least that's my view.

I'm probably going to engender a lot of hate for my opinion on this one. I know it's one of the most beloved children's films of all time, but I found it terribly mawkish and boring. Most of my dislike for the film comes from the central performance of Claude Jarman Jr. I hate to say that, because I think he's fantastic in the cinematic adaptation of Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust, and he's perfectly good in John Ford's Rio Grande, too. But, as a 12 year-old actor in The Yearling, he comes off as functionally retarded. I'm guessing the kid in the original novel was younger than 12, but this kid doesn't look any younger than 12, and no 12 year-old kid should be this stupid, pioneer times or not. I'm also pretty sure he was having sex with the deer. I mean, look at the kid's face when he first finds it (I wish I had done a screen capture). And later he's sleeping with the deer, and his mom even says he smells like the thing. If I were her, I'd be checking his pubes for ticks. Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman, who play Jarman's parents, come off a lot better (both were nominated for Oscars), but they're saddled with some awful, faux-archaic dialogue. This film holds the records for the most uses of the word "taint" outside of a gay porno film. And Wyman can come off as an awful bitch sometimes. For good reason, I suppose. I'd be pretty mad that my 12 year-old son was so freaking stupid, too. Jarman's lucky she didn't take him out, too, Lenny-style. By the way, I absolutely love the IMDb trivia bit that says Wyman's real-life daughter wouldn't talk to her for two weeks after she saw the movie. The film also doesn't work for me because I grew up in a place where deer were plentiful - sure, I can enjoy Bambi, but real deer are about the most infuriating animal on the planet. They're vermin. Sure, the baby deer is cute, but as soon as the deer starts eating my corn, I'd turn it into venison tout suite.

This movie is on my top 10 favorite movies list. Parents, I would suggest that those of you with young ones, should refrain from letting them view it. If you do not, you will have a very inconsolable youngster on hand, during the final act of this movie. Anyone older that 14 or 15 should be able to handle the tragic ending.The book and movie's title: "The Yearling" refers to the boy, not the deer.The ending is not all tied up in one big happy family group hug. The movie suggests, that in order to grow, the boy had to suffer. Up to that point, he had been shielded by his father from life's hurt and hardship. Taking the punishment, means the boy took a punishment from life, not a punishment from the father. The final monologue from Gregory Peck is mesmerizing and extremely poignant. This is a Five Star movie. Small wonder that it won so many Oscars.

Nobody spoke of children like Clarence Brown ,at least in America !Remember "national Velvet" and the last minutes of "the intruder" ,the long conversation between a lawyer and his son..."The yearling" is learning about life .A young boy in a hostile wilderness ,his everyday life,his small joys and his big griefs ...It could be a mushy melodrama,it's never so: If it never falls in the trap of sentiment and it's entirely due to Brown's natural feeling for economy and sparseness which precludes all forms of conventional sentimentality: three children died? He shows three graves and that's it.Jane Wyman's part is certainly the most difficult:when she finally smiles,the viewer feels happy that this kind of scene can be possible. But my favorite scene has always been Peck's speech in the little cemetery ("because we do not know any prayer") where Fodderwing is being buried :it echoes the crippled boy's dreams when he and Jody spent the night in a tree -one of those magical moments of childhood-.Today's children are used to action-packed violent movies: I hope they will enjoy "the yearling" all the same.