Product Description

Set in Chicago during the Great Depression, this inspirational story is about a young girl's search for her father after he is forced to suddenly travel west to take a job. Along the way, she is befriended by a young drifter with whom she develops a romantic attachment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7606 in DVD
• Brand: BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2002-05-21
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 101 minutes

Amazon.com
A sleeper when released in 1985, The Journey of Natty Gann has since become an enduring family classic. While following a familiar Disney formula (the perilous adventures of a girl and her pet wolf), director Jeremy Paul Kagan adds something fresh at every turn, aided by a first-rate cast and beautifully scenic locations. Then-promising newcomer Meredith Salenger is perfect in the title role--a scrappy kid in Depression-era Chicago who travels cross-country to the Pacific Northwest, hoping to find her father (Ray Wise), who had been forced to leave her with an awful landlady while he took a logging job in Washington. Natty befriends the wolf and a fellow drifter (John Cusack, in an early role), and her journey is a memorable one, intense and realistic but still appropriate for kids. Although Salenger's subsequent film career has been modest (she later graduated cum laude from Harvard), Natty Gann remains a worthy claim to fame. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Great Movie Given A Shabby DVD Transfer treatment
What could have been the usual predictable Disney film, turns out to be a truly remarkable experience the whole family can enjoy. The story of a young girl who travels across country to find her father during the depression, is played perfectly by Meredith Salenger. The supporting cast is just as excellent, with John Cusack playing a drifter she meets along the way, and Jed who plays Wolf, her companion for much of the journey. During her trip, we have a first hand look at the desparation many people suffered through during the depression. The scenery is gorgeous, and the score is terrific. This should be a Disney classic and it's too bad the people at Disney don't realize it, which brings me to the bad part of this review.
Apperently there isn't anyone at Disney who ever thought this movie would be or could be this great. It was released on VHS, but was out of print and unavailable for a long time, unless of course you wanted to spend mega-bucks for it on Ebay. I would have hoped that with this re-release, it would have gained some measure of respect, but Disney only saw fit to slap a quick pan and scan version on DVD and sell it at a low price to make a few bucks. The transfer is horrible, the picture is grainy much of the time, the characters out of frame, and most of the scenery is completely lost. The audio is ordinary, much of the sounds when they are in the forest inaudible, and the beautiful score is completely wasted. It's too bad that the people at Disney don't know what a gem they have. In other words, the movie gets five stars, the DVD transfer gets one star....which averages out to a three. Despite that, I suggest you buy this movie while you can before it disappears into oblivion once again.

Teriffic! Tremendous! Stupendous! wtF?! OOOPS??!!
Great Movie. Crummy DVD. I saw it in theatres when I was a kid, I bought the VHS when 1st available; I was overjoyed to the point of near misty-eyed-ness when I recieved the DVD from my wife. TjoNG is one of the reasons I fell in love with wolves & learned to overcome my American cultural ignorance of them. The movie is the reason I listened more closely to my grandparents tales of the depression; why I stopped thinking depression meant an emotional state & recognized it as an economic problem. You & your kids can *LEARN* something from this movie, you can enjoy watching it, again & again; there's a marvelous emotional hurrah! throughout the entire story, Disney at it's finest without the clubbed-over-the-head forced-spoon-fed social & morality message & commentary. The scenery is breathtaking, you kinda think I wish I could go back to then & live in that incredible world. The music is perfect, nudging & reinforcing without interrupting or annoying. This is also one of Scatman Caruthers' last roles, doing what he does best; adding a touch of autheniticty that makes our suspension of disbelief effortless.
The DVD is a horiffic slap in the face to the theatrical release, the cast, crew & it's *SO* bad it makes the movie look shoddy. I won't reiterate what the other people so ably & eloquently illustrated of the flaws, I'll just say BUY THE VHS! if you can't, well, this DVD is better than nothing.

Barely.
The only reason there're 3 stars is because I was in the theatre on a magical night near to 2 decades ago & I *KNOW* what should have been on this disc. Let's not even mention the despair of finding no extra features.

Notable in every way!
I don't know what to say about "The Journey of Natty Gann" that hasn't already been said. This is a riveting film that never ceases to entertain. The outstanding and auspicious debut of Meredith Salenger belies her later career, most recently seen in the campy horror flick "Lake Placid" in a small role. This is also one of John Cusack's first roles, and he's perfect, as is Ray Wise as Natty's father. The Oscar nominated costumes are period-perfect, as are the sets, convincingly portraying Depression era America. A Widescreen version is sorely missing from the recently released DVD; a lot of period detail was lost. Let's hope someone comes along to correct this gross over-sight. The magnificent vistas of the Pacific northwest, captured by photographer Dick Bush, would also be enhanced by a Widescreen format. The music of James Horner is symphonic at times (reminiscent of the best of Aaron Copland), as it also incoporates folk music and grand,sweeping passages to compliment the adventure that is taking place. The director, Jeremy Kagan, brilliantly kept a flow and consistant feeling of excitement (he won the Golden Prize at the Moscow Film Festival). Episodic as some might think, each episode is woven into the next with care and a fine feel for the narrative at large...a fine example of great editing. This is, quite simply, and all-around excellent film. Tears are bound to flow, but they won't be manipulated; there's genuine pathos in the final development of events, and not sappy, either. As I said, except for the Pan & Scan treatment, the DVD is well presented, though there are no extras. It's OK, though, because the price is more than reasonable. SEE THIS FILM! And show it to the whole family.