Spencer's Mountain (1963)

You won't be disappointed!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Spencer's Mountain is an old fashioned drama about a family living on a mountain. It's very dated and unlikely to appeal to modern audiences but it does have a certain charm which makes up for the relative lack of action. Personally I'd have preferred the film to follow the family over a longer time period which would have given the viewer more interest. Instead it is slow moving and whilst there are a few decent moments of pathos, it does get weighed down by clunky superfluous scenes. Although undoubtedly the star of the film, Henry Fonda merely appears to be going through the motions. The rest of the cast are merely adequate with no-one really standing out. This however, may have been more to do with the unimaginative characters and dialogue than their acting ability.Worth watching for an old slice of gentle drama but unlikely to live too long in the memory.

Whenever I see "Spencer's Mountain" (1963) I can't help doing a compare and contrast with "Sometimes a Great Notion" (1970). There is the obvious Henry Fonda patriarch connection; Clay Spencer and Henry Stamper being essentially the same character with much the same "never give an inch" relationship to their respective environments. Clay Spencer is a bit more bending and a bit less self-involved than Henry Stamper, but Fonda did not have to stretch much for the role replication. And there is the obvious parallel between the logging accidents. And the showcasing of dazzling wilderness beauty.But just as Earl Hamner Jr. was no Ken Kesey, "Spencer's Mountain" is no "Sometimes a Great Notion"; if for no other reason than the differing energy levels of the two films. One could accurately describe it as what "Sometimes a Great Notion" would be if Kesey had heavily sedated himself on an overdose of "The Waltons". Interestingly the novels were released in 1961 and 1964 respectively so it is at least possible that Hamner influenced Kesey.And both novels and films strip down to stories about the collision between the traditional and the modern, the past and the present. Although Kesey's story is far more gritty and far more ambitious, they are more similar in theme and style than they appear at first glance (I suspect that both authors would be horrified by this notion).The film version of Spencer's Mountain" suffers in any comparison by the relative weakness of its cast. Fonda is a constant and Veronica Cartwright (as Becky Spencer) makes you wish she had a bigger part, but the rest of the cast is borderline embarrassing; saved only by the one-dimensional nature of their parts. Kym Karath's "Pattie-Cake Spencer" manages to recapture, 20+ years later, the most irritating qualities of Phronsie Pepper. In fairness to James MacArthur, he manages to portray the mega earnest Clayboy Spencer accurately, but this early version of John-Boy Walton is truly cringe-worthy. MacArthur's scenes with 18 year-old ingénue Mimsy Farmer, however, play on a much higher level and nicely illustrate that it was possible in conservative days to create a smoking sexual tension without anything even remotely explicit.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

My above comment is alluding to the overall blandness of the film. It isn't a BAD film, but it seems a bit too gosh-darn happy and perfect and unremarkable--sort of like the Stepford Wives meet The Waltons (the latter was the obvious movie version of Spencer's Mountain). And because of that it's so inoffensive and ordinary that I have no desire to see it again. The sad thing is the acting was pretty good (it's hard to go wrong with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara) but the story just wasn't compelling. Overall, it's a time passer and that's about all. About the only thing that is interesting is watching a younger Jame McArthur ("Danno" from Hawaii 5-0--also the son of Helen Hayes) playing the role later played by Richard Thomas.

So sappy one's brain cells become glued together! Much worse than it's progeny "The Waltons" (which did have some decent episodes). This tale of lovable, yet curmudgeonly and occasionally drunk Henry Fonda as the father of a poor but happy family living in a company mining town, is less believable than any fairy tale. It's only cinematic competition is "The Human Comedy". At least that one was absurd enough to be quite funny in spots, but this film has no edge of any kind."Spencer's Mountain" purports to portray a slice of Americana that never existed. This company town is a peaceful little community where no one grumbles about the high prices and enslaving credit rates of the company store. The mine president is just tickled pink about the romance between his daughter and miner Fonda's son, and their possible "union" is the only one either dad seems concerned about. The State University cheerfully accepts walk-in applicants and has plenty of full scholarships for the asking.This film is more than a waste of time. I found it's flaccid, phony whimsy a true insult to my intelligence. One of the all time worst!!