Alaska (1996 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alaska |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Fraser Clarke Heston |
| Produced by | Andy Burg |
| Written by | Andy Burg Scott Myers |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Reg Powell |
| Cinematography | Tony Westman |
| Editing by | Rob Kobrin |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
| Release date(s) | August 14, 1996 |
| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $24,000,000 |
| Money made | $11,829,959 |
Alaska is an adventure movie from 1996. It was directed by Fraser Clarke Heston. The story is about two kids who search for their lost dad in the wild lands of Alaska. On their trip, they meet a polar bear who helps them find him. But a poacher wants to catch the bear. He follows the kids and the bear closely. The movie was mostly filmed in the Purcell Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. It also filmed in Vancouver. The movie cost a lot to make but did not earn much money. It also got some negative reviews when it came out.
Contents
What Happens in the Movie?
A Family in Alaska
Jake Barnes (Dirk Benedict) is flying his plane over Alaska. He talks to Charlie (Ben Cardinal) from Quincy Air Service. Meanwhile, a baby polar bear and its mother are playing. Two poachers, Colin Perry (Charlton Heston) and Mr. Koontz (Duncan Fraser), are watching them. The mother bear is shot, and the baby bear is left alone.
Jessie Barnes (Thora Birch) is out in her kayak with her friend Chip (Ryan Kent). Her dad, Jake, tells her where he is flying from. Jessie figures out that her dad is flying near Devils Thumb.
Jake lands his plane on a lake. Charlie is there to tie up the plane. Jake's son, Sean (Vincent Kartheiser), is upset. He doesn't like that their family moved to Alaska after their mom passed away.
The Search for Dad Begins
Jake is on an urgent flight. His plane's engines stop working. He crashes in the wild parts of Alaska. The police are not searching enough. So, Sean and Jessie decide to find their dad themselves.
They paddle their kayak through the cold waters. They stop to rest on a beach. They soon find a poachers' camp there. They see the skin of a polar bear. They also find the young polar bear from before. It is locked in a cage. They let the polar bear go free. They hope it will be safe.
After the bear leaves, Colin Perry shows up. He wants to catch the polar bear. He plans to sell the cub in Hong Kong. Koontz arrives and sees teeth marks on a frying pan. This tells Perry that the bear was there. Perry finds his missing lighter near the kids' gear. He knows the children let the bear go. Perry tells the kids to make the bear "come home" to his cage.
Meeting a New Friend
The next day, Jessie and Sean keep looking for their dad. They leave their kayak and walk. They soon see that the polar bear is following them. Perry and Koontz are also following the kids. This time, they break the kayak's oars. They hide the kayak in the woods.
Just then, Charlie arrives in a helicopter. He is looking for Jessie and Sean. Perry shows Charlie a piece of an oar. He says he found it far away. Charlie leaves in his helicopter. He thinks the children are in danger. He later finds the poachers' camp. He realizes they are bad guys.
Jessie gets down a mountain safely. But Sean slips and falls. He hits his head on a rock. The two kids keep going. They find a log cabin in the woods. They take shelter there. Sean lies down to rest. In the cabin, Sean sees a canoe hanging from the ceiling. Jessie and Sean take the canoe. They continue their search for their dad.
Facing Challenges and Finding Help
While canoeing, they go through rough rapids. They fall down a waterfall. Jessie gets out of the river safely. But Sean struggles again. He is pulled down the river. Jessie's friend Chip and his grandfather Ben (Gordon Tootoosis) help him out of the cold water.
The kids rest by the river. Chip's father (Byron Chief-Moon) wants to send Jessie and Sean home. But Ben and Chip want to help them. The two kids continue their journey. The polar bear, whom they named Cubby, is with them.
The Rescue and Farewell
Colin shoots Cubby with a tranquilizer dart. He takes Cubby away in his helicopter. But Koontz did not put enough tranquilizer in the darts. Cubby wakes up in the helicopter. He tries to get free. Koontz lowers the helicopter. Cubby escapes. He bites Perry's right knee. Perry then shoots Koontz with a tranquilizer dart. He also damages the helicopter.
Meanwhile, the children keep looking for their dad. They find parts of his crashed plane. They yell for him. Their dad cannot yell back. He shoots another flare into the air. This time the children see it. They run to help him. They find the plane hanging on a cliff. Jessie lowers Sean down the mountain to reach their dad.
It looks like Jessie might lose control of the rope. Then Cubby appears. He helps Jessie pull the rope. With Cubby's help, Jessie and Sean pull their dad up the mountain. The family is together again. Charlie shows up in his helicopter. He takes them home. Perry and Koontz are shown walking from their broken helicopter. Cubby then meets a new polar bear family. He says goodbye to Sean and Jessie.
Who is in the Movie?
- Thora Birch as Jessie Barnes
- Vincent Kartheiser as Sean Barnes
- Dirk Benedict as Jake Barnes
- Charlton Heston as Colin Perry, the Poacher
- Duncan Fraser as Mr. Koontz, Perry's Pilot
- Gordon Tootoosis as Ben, Quincy General Store
- Ben Cardinal as Charlie, Quincy Air Service
- Ryan Kent as Chip
- Don S. Davis as Sergeant Sam Grazer
- Dolly Madsen as Mrs. Ben
- Stephen E. Miller as Trooper Sam Harvey
- Byron Chief-Moon as Chip's Grandfather
- Kristin Lehman as Florence
See also
In Spanish: Alaska (película) para niños
