A Far Off Place (1993)

Simply A Masterpiece

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

I've voiced my displeasure at the current state of Disney movies before and pointed out how vastly different they are in the 21st Century to movies that were made as recently as the 90s.Reese Witherspoon plays Nonnie Parker and Ethan Embry her reluctant friend Harry. Both kids are living with their parents in rural Africa when their home is attacked by Ivory poachers. With their bushman friend Xhabbo as a guide the kids take off across the Kalahari desert to reach the safety of the coast and nearest town, while the poachers plan to kill off their only witnesses.A Far Off Place opens with the massacre of a herd of elephants. The killers themselves are then mercilessly gunned down by supporting hero Col. Theron. Would Disney DARE allow a scene like this in the 21st Century? Look at the quality of Tim Allen's The Shaggy Dog and you'll find your answer. For any family-orientated movie it takes some nerve to open with killing such as this but even 16-year-old Nonnie herself is at ease yielding a rifle and doesn't hesitate to blow-up bad guys.The African desert scenery is gorgeous and director Mikael Salomon (who also made the underrated Hard Rain) fills the movie with lovely cinematography. The dunes, the blue sky, the night sky...it all makes you wish for a sunny holiday.A Far Off Place (a combination of two novels "A Story Like the Wind" and "A Far Off Place" by Laurens Van der Post) is not a well known movie and is quite hard to find, but it's worth hunting down. A shame that such a good movie has fallen off the radar.

I saw this movie for the first time on the Disney channel about 6 years ago. This is one of my favorite movies. I love Reese Witherspoon and her portrayal of the young girl was superb. The beginning of the movie draws you in as you see how a young boy from the US trys to cope without modern technology and how Nonnie despised him. I followed her emotions throughout the story as she slowly warms up to him and was deeply satisfied with the conclusion. Both children had lost their parents and the tragedy had drawn them together. The love birds were a nice touch. The poor things had a wild ride when the children were hugging at the end. I recommend this film to my friends and their children. Even though I have heard it is a "copy" of another story called,"Walkabout" or something like this, having never seen that movie, this one stands on it's own as a very adventurous tale. I like to watch it at least twice a year and have recently purchased it on DVD.

A Far Off Place is by far the best movie i have ever seen! it has a lot of great actors at younger ages, and is such a good action/adventure/romance movie!! the ending is so good, and that is what really made this my favorite movie ever

A Far Off Place is indeed an excellent film. The main reason for this is the characters, the character of Nonnie Parker (Reese Witherspoon) in particular.Reese's character of Vanessa Lutz in "Freeway" was, like the rest of the movie, one of Matthew Bright's bad acid-trips. The character of Nonnie Parker, however, is portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in such a way that Nonnie takes on a life of her own. She doesn't say much, we don't know much about her, yet for some reason, she seems as real as you and me. If you're really into the movie, you might even fall in love with her.Reese Witherspoon has portrayed several different types of characters, so it's doubtful we'll ever know what she's like off-screen. I would hope, however, that she's just like Nonnie Parker.