Film Perfection

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

I've seen most live-action film adaptations of Mark Twain's classic novel, but none follow the original story as closely as this one. The 1993 Disney version is a very good one, but definitely Disney-fied (more suitable for children and whatnot). This version is blunt and accurate. The casting was very good in my opinion. I found that it did move a bit slow at some parts and some scenes were added that were not in the book. The only scenes that were removed were the conversation Jim and Huck have about Frenchmen, the Boggs shooting, and all of the Wilks scenes. That, to me, is very strange. Although I did read somewhere that the full film is 240 minutes, and the one I have is 213 minutes, but says to be un-cut. They do go to Phelps Landing at the end, however, although Tom and Huck's elaborate escape plan for Jim is very much shortened - from over 3 weeks in the novel to 1 day in the film. The beginning is also changed slightly. Pap does not spend a night at the judge's house and does not break his arm. Overall, I really liked it and I think all Huck Finn-enthusiasts would.

This is probably the best version of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" I have ever seen or am likely to see. No other manages to capture the richness of the work like this one.The great thing about this rendition is that it keeps Twain's language almost verbatim, thus allowing some of the wittiest, funniest, and most fascinating conversations in literature to spill forth from on screen. Another asset is its length. At 240 minutes, the story can take its time and characters are able to develop gradually and naturally. This expansive running time also lets viewers steep themselves in the atmosphere of the antebellum era, which is so strikingly recreated. There is a kind of rough and grungy realism in the depiction of folk on the river and the small and sometimes lazy towns they inhabit.As Huck, Patrick Day never descends into the cutesiness that Elijah Wood did in his far more sanitized portrayal in 1993. Day's Huck is an unapologetic smoker, drinker, and vulgar waif; not once does the audience seem to be manipulated into thinking he is a more endearing character than he actually is. Yet the audience does indeed become endeared to Huck, for the young Day successfully bares Huck's soul throughout the film. In this way, the title character comes off not as some vague and romanticized distortion of himself, but as the nuanced and well-developed creation – raw, imperfect, and human – Twain originally intended.In this film, Huck's character arc is left blessedly intact. He may be fleeing from civilization and society, but nevertheless some of society's values rub off on him. All his life, he has been trained (by both the respectable Widow Douglas and by his repugnant Pap) that slavery is just, blacks are subhuman, that abolitionism is a moral evil. Getting to know and understand Jim calls into question everything Huck has ever learned. As a result, he endures a terrible struggle with his conscience as he helps Jim to freedom. Within Huck is the desire to do the right thing. But what is he to do when what he has been always told is right conflicts with his experiences with Jim? Many screen adaptations try to dull or dumb down Huck's ethical dilemma. Not this one. Here, the crucial scene is included where Huck consigns himself to hellfire and resolves to liberate Jim from bondage. Patrick Day's plain, earnest performance is riveting. When, choking back tears, he says, "Alright, then, I'll go to hell", it really seems as though he means it, as though he can see the dreadful flames before his glistening eyes. Can you imagine it – condemning your own soul to damnation (for Huck is convinced that is exactly what he is doing in choosing to help Jim get away) in order to save someone who has become your friend? It is the ultimate sacrifice, and one of the most potent and stinging commentaries on bigotry and religious hypocrisy there has ever been.The sturdy Samm-Art Williams makes a fine Jim, powerfully expressing the humanity of his character. His delivery of the anguished story Jim tells of how he became enraged at his daughter for not listening to him, only to discover to his horror and shame that she was a deaf-mute and therefore incapable of hearing him, is heartbreaking.The rest of the cast is equally excellent. One by one, they flare life into all the housewives, clergymen, drunkards, shysters, and Southern gentlemen that populate Twain's text. Names like Lillian Gish and Jim Dale stand out among the actors (and indeed, Jim Dale almost steals the show in his role as the ragamuffin Duke who fancies himself a Shakespearian), but everybody is superb. Even small parts like that of a bombastic hell-and-brimstone preacher at a camp meeting in a single scene or the brief appearance of the needle-sharp Miss Watson shine.There are a few imperfections: the last section of the film (at the Phelps' plantation with Tom Sawyer) feels strangely rushed, at least when compared to the skillfully smooth and steady pace that precedes it, and the end comes abruptly. But on the whole, this version – with its faithfulness and unparalleled recreation of time and place – is the one that best catches the novel's spirit.

I collect all versions of Huckeberry Finn & Tom Sawyer films. The only equal of this film is that with Elijah Wood. Patrick Day was brilliant. It is a real pity we do not have more from him as a child actor.This film would be great for any family. It is less restricted than the Elijah Wood version and more accurate in that respect. The N word is used as it was during the those times. The political correctness that keeps it out of modern films is not present here. That is not to say that the word is appropriate in modern times. It is to say that we should recognize how it was used in the past. Political correctness can be carried too far.So, if you want an excellent version of the Huckleberry Finn film, this film is a must. It has just become available on Amazon.com

This is a brilliant adaptation of the classic novel, especially by telemovie standards. It isn't at all schmaltsy or patronizing. The leads of Patrick Day, Jim Dale and Barnard Hughes give life and personality to their characters very well. And it certainly captures both the humor and sharp social commentary of the novel excellently.<Spoiler warning.>My only disappointment with this version is that Huck sounds a little bit too well-educated and formal for what is essentially a 19th century "street kid" with a minimum amount of formal education, even though the essential "street smarts" and sympathetic nature of the character are preserved. And also, the final big con scheme is totally deleted. (They probably ran out of time and money). The over-all pacing is also a tad slow. (By the way, I saw this as a video version which was apparently edited down from an original mini-series).I still like the 1993 version of the story the best, but this is a very close second in my estimation.