A Stranger in My Forest (1976)
Orphaned by a tragic car crash, young Robbie and his older sister Susie come to live with their grandmother. A full-grown bear named Luke (after St. Luke), who steals hearts (and food) all over town, soon befriends the lonely boy. As a bitter old man plots Luke’s death, a mysterious stranger appears thrusting all into a hair-raising adventure
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Better Late Then Never
I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
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.
A Stranger in My Forest is a family melodrama churned out by Mark IV Pictures, a company most known for their controversial and austere films about the Rapture. It starts with a tragic car crash that robs a young boy and his older sister of their parents. The now traumatized boy befriends a bear, clearly as a coping mechanism for the loss of his parents. This brings him into conflict with his community - in particular the Sheriff - who do not accept the boys peculiar friendship with the animal.As you'd expect from a explicitly Evangelical film-company, a Stranger in My Forest is heavily embedded with a Christian ambiance and morals. Unlike the Rapture films though, this movie does not present its ideology in such a vindictive and imposing manner. Which is fitting for a family film. The storytelling is also more conventional, compared to the Rapture films often bizarre and feverish plot lines. There are many problems that weight down this film - most of them common among low-budget, independently produced products. It's generally kind of dull and unengaging. However, the director did manage to make something out of the movies independent spirit. There is a sincerity and gravitas to the morals being presented, as if the makers and actors truly believed in what they were saying. This leaves the film with a sense of seriousness that the big-budget productions often lack. Even if the overt Evangelical spirit may rub many people the wrong way, there is at least nothing faux about the creators intentions.3.5/10... (4/10)