It is a performances centric movie

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

This movie had a great premise and could have been great. It started out ok, but just got worse and worse. A lot of things in the story line didn'make sense (example: she was incredibly smitten with her husband, which the viewer doesn't understand because he's portrayed as a jerk). The scene with the piano just drove me crazy! It was SOO obvious the director was trying to be artsy. It reminded me of a Counting Crows video (puke!). Another miss: the horribly cliche Native American boy (including his Kmart bought costume). At times the main actress was good, other times she was horrible. All the other actors were even worse. The final editing was not well done. Cut-to's that were disjointed and didn't line up, or shots that needed another 20 seconds to establish the context or emotion. If this was made by some college kids, then I'd say bravo. In that aspect this movie would be impressive. But I suspect it had a little more experience and budget behind it. It almost seemed as if it was rushed out of production. If more time had been spent on the details and editing, it would have been a MUCH better movie. I will give credit to the writer though, as the story was very solid. Some people can see past all these errors, but people that expect a movie to leave an impression on them will find it too irritating.

This movie has taken a lot of heat for historical inaccuracies and unrealistic circumstances (among other things). Still, it offers a good moral theme and does tell a compelling story without ruining the aforementioned with some sort of predictable, clichéd ending. It's worth a watch if you're the more patient type of viewer who enjoys an intellectual movie experience. Sit back and employ your "film reading" skills with this one. There's lots of symbolism. Though it does fall short on the type of action sequences that less sophisticated, mainstream audiences require these days, it does not disappoint with tension.

Comments by a 12 year old: 1. Why isn't she taking the dead man's hat to cover her head since it is snowing? 2 . She didn't have a jacket in her covered wagon? 3. Why wouldn't she just put everything into the big cloth and carry it instead of carrying a heavy box? 4. It never looked like a trail..what kind of trail would be in the middle of a forest? And did that big pot really fit into the stupid wooden box? And on and on. Sure it was a fantasy but a very annoying one. To be a worthwhile fantasy there needs to be some semblance of practicality. Perhaps a warning would have bee appropriate here...something like adults beware, only very young girls who like dreamlike movies will enjoy.

In a day and age when so many movies are filled with gore, gratuitous sex, nudity, and foul language, The Trail is a clean cut and family friendly film pleasantly void of the aforementioned. Many films are centered around self gratifying plots of exploitation and revenge, but this one provides a story of faith and hope that after being tested emerges stronger on the other side.I watched this on Netflix, and what intrigued me was the single female survivalist plot. Early on there were some disturbing things so I wasn't too sure I'd stay with it to the end until I realized it was really more about faith.In this case, disturbing things means things that are difficult to believe to a point that they turn me off of watching. The first of these is the attack scene. It is actually a well done scene, but the problem lies in the fact that while her husband is being killed and the horses stolen she hides in the back of their small wagon. It is unbelievable that the attackers would have no interest at all in the contents of the wagon. That is exactly what we are to believe, however, as they ride away leaving her undiscovered.Two more difficult stretches are the way she is dressed and that she consistently demonstrates a remarkable lack of resourcefulness. Since they were near their destination she decides to bury her husband and keep moving on foot with only the clothes she is wearing and a small wooden locker of essentials. She is clothed in only a thin cotton dress and a pair of flimsy looking slip on shoes. You would think she would at least take her husbands long underwear and socks and a coat, or perhaps even quickly fashion an outer covering from the blanket she buried him in, but she doesn't.The first sign the movie is going to be about her struggle with her faith in the face of her trying circumstances is when she breaks down with her bible in hand at her husbands graveside and cries out to God, "How could you let this happen?" Later, when she is trying to decide what to take and what to leave behind, she cannot fit the bible in the locker and get the lid closed, so she removes it and starts to walk away. But after a few steps she turns back, retrieves it and makes room for it, signifying that she is not ready to abandon her faith and give up on God just yet.Oh, I almost forgot. One other ridiculous scene is when she is walking through the snow and discovers an abandoned piano. By that point she has spent a number of days in subfreezing temperatures with no gloves, however, she precedes to sit down and play. How she was not frostbitten to the point that she could not do that is a mystery.One interesting element to the plot is her discovery of a little native boy. Again, this takes a little effort to suspend your doubts as to why he would be out there all alone, perfectly healthy and unafraid to go with her. But I have a theory about that.Overall the movie is interesting enough to set its difficulties aside and just go with it. In the end it is satisfying to have the tension resolved as she finally reaches the town that was her destination. However, there is some mystery created in this final scene as well. She and the boy are standing at the top of a ridge, and after briefly looking at the town below, she turns once more to say something to him only to discover he has vanished.At first I wasn't sure what to make of that. Was he only a figure of her imagination? Or, was he an angel in disguise sent in answer to her prayer? After a little thought I decided he must have been an angel since a figure of your imagination would not see you before you saw him, eat food with you or reach out and rescue you from drowning. Also, he never once left her side until she had safely arrived at her destination.Overall I thought this was well worth watching. Glad I stuck with it. Highly recommend it, especially if you appreciate wholesome movies with spiritual themes.