Rugged Gold (1994)

Very Cool!!!

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The book that this movie is based off of, O Rugged Land of Gold, was written by my great grandmother (under the pen name Martha Martin, real name was Helen Bolyan). Lloyd's name is really Clyde, my grandfather. I asked him after the movie first came out and we watched it, if he was as much of a brat as he was portrayed in the movie and he told me he was always a good boy. But the twinkle in his eye made me think otherwise :-)My grandfather was born in 1915. The book states that my great grandmother complied events from her life to write the story. The movie loosely portrayed the book, for example the set it in the 50s. My dad was born in 43, so my grandpa couldn't have been a little boy in the 50s :-) There really was a mine. It's located on the Chichagof Island. You can read how it came to be if you Google "Cobol Chichagof Island". There is a Juneau parks and rec link about George A Bolyan (Don Martin) that my grandfather wrote. It won't let me post the actual link. Keep in mind the movie was filmed in New Zealand, there are no possums in Alaska :-)

Martha (Jill Eikenberry) is a widow on the east coast of the United States during the 1950's. She has one nine year old son and they both live with relatives. Very genteel, Martha is only beginning to recover from intense grief. One evening, this lady goes to hear a lecture by a gold panner from Alaska. He is handsome Don (Art Hindle) and he takes one look at Martha and begs her for a date. Very reluctantly, she agrees. Over the next couple of weeks, Don tries everything to persuade Martha to marry him and move to Alaska. Talk about a life changing adventure. At last, she says yes. After the wedding, the newlyweds arrive near Sitka, where Don's somewhat rustic cabin lies. Martha does her best to make it more livable and tries to get used to grizzly bears, rickety bridges, and few neighbors. Soon, Don is beside himself to learn that Martha is expecting. Ah, but this will be no ordinary pregnancy. One day, the young son and Don have an argument and the lad bolts for unknown places. Don and Martha go separate ways to look for him, just as a fierce wind storm arrives. On the rope and plank bridge she hates, Martha falls as it breaks. Thankfully, she hangs on, even though her arm is broken. Summoning all courage, she climbs the broken planks in great pain and crawls back to the cabin. There, she sets her own arm and cleans her other wounds. By God's Grace, the baby is still alive. But, Don fails to return or her son. Winter sets in and, most fortunately, Martha has enough canned food to last. In the ultimate brave act, she delivers her own daughter and waits for the weather to clear. Will she ever see her husband or son again? This true story is absolutely astounding in its tale of one of the bravest women I ever saw. If anyone starts to call women "soft" in your hearing, make certain they know about this lady's ordeal. The film, made twenty years ago, is still wonderful, with very lovely Alaskan scenery and plenty of drama. Therefore, you will strike your own treasure when you make time for Rugged Gold. It's more than 40 carats, its 100.

The plot about a sheltered widowed American woman who remarries and moves to the outer reaches of Alaska in search of gold turned into an exciting learning and growing experience for her. She becomes pregnant and decides that she must move back to the lower states for the safety of her older son. Her son becomes lost and the stepfather goes in search of him, but he is severely injured in an earthquake after finding the boy and can't get back to the mother. She is also severely injured by the earthquake, pregnant and alone until the following spring after she delivers her baby alone. This is the story of courage and survival where she learns how capable she truly is. This movie was excellent. The acting by all was great, the story realistic, the settings beautiful. The plot was exciting and didn't lag. I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end and would recommend it especially on a cold winter's eve.

Having lived in Alaska for over 25 years, I was especially moved by the film, Jill Eikenberry's performance, and the hardships that Martha Martin endured. I would truly love to see this classic made into a video and have in fact been looking for it, however, it appears it is not available. Should someone hear of it becoming available, please contact , thnx Mavis