THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1993 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: This is a reasonably faithful adaptation of what may be the great American novel. Although whittled down from the intricate novel, this version will entertain kids and adults. Rating: +1 (-4 to +4).
As unlikely as it seems, the great novel of Spain is a burlesque about a madman who anachronistically thinks he is a knight. DON QUIXOTE is a novel you can read at nearly any age. It is simple enough to enjoy at age ten and as you grow it becomes more and more sophisticated. England's great story for all ages is ALICE IN WONDERLAND. In the United States we also have our story for all ages. It is not even a stand-alone, but is the second book in a series that also includes boy detective stories. Yet THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN--often considered to be the finest American novel ever written--is a book you can read and enjoy at ten or at sixty. Disney Studios has adapted the picaresque novel into a fairly entertaining adventure film.
For those lucky people who still have their first reading of HUCKLEBERRY FINN ahead of them, here is what the story is about: The setting is the pre-Civil War South. Huck (played by Elijah Wood), the wild adoptee of two old women, is kidnapped by his real father, a violent alcoholic. Huck escapes to the Mississippi River and runs into runaway slave Jim (played by Courtney B. Vance). They strike up a partnership made uneasy by Huck's conscience telling him it is wrong to help a slave escape. The novel tells of the strange people they meet during their escape and of Huck's growing respect for Jim.
This version, while occasionally adopting modern values, is actually fairly accurate to the novel, though the character Tom Sawyer has been written out. Wood as Huck is an odd casting choice since he seems too young and cute. Ron Perlman, who played a gentle beast in the television series BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, plays a not-so-gentle monster as Pap Finn. Younger children may be frightened by Pap's drunken rage.
The recreation of the Old South seems fairly authentic. Bill Conti has written a striking orchestral score. This production, like the book, can be appreciated at nearly any age. I rate the film a +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
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