Iron Will facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Iron Will |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Charles Haid |
| Produced by | Patrick J. Palmer James Ployhar Robert Schwartz George Zepp |
| Written by | John Michael Hayes Djordje Milicevic Jeff Arch |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Joel McNeely |
| Cinematography | William Wages |
| Editing by | Andrew Doerfer |
| Studio | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
| Release date(s) | January 14, 1994 |
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $21 million |
Iron Will is an exciting American adventure film from 1994. It tells the inspiring story of a real-life dog-sled race that happened in 1917. This tough race covered 522 miles, going from Winnipeg, Canada, all the way to Saint Paul, USA.
The movie is directed by Charles Haid. It stars Mackenzie Astin, Kevin Spacey, and David Ogden Stiers. The film shows how a young person can face huge challenges and find the strength to keep going.
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About the Movie
Iron Will is about a teenager who suddenly has to grow up fast. His family faces hard times, so he decides to enter a very difficult and dangerous dog-sled race. The prize money could save his family's farm.
Even with bad weather, mean competitors, and dogs that don't always listen, he pushes forward. He gets help from unexpected friends along the way. Soon, he realizes that not just him, but the whole country, is cheering for him to finish. Everyone hopes to see his amazing "iron will" help him win.
The Story of Will Stoneman
In 1917, 17-year-old Will Stoneman (Mackenzie Astin) lives in a small town in South Dakota. He delivers mail and helps his father, Jack (John Terry), with carpentry and their farm. One day, Will gets a letter saying he's been accepted to his dream college. He's happy but worried about leaving his family. His father encourages him to follow his dreams and not be afraid.
Sadly, while returning from a trip with their sled dogs, Jack drowns in a river accident. He saves Will's life by sacrificing his own. As the only son, Will now has to take care of his mother, Maggie (Penelope Windust), and their farm, which has many bills. Will feels he can't go to college. When his mother plans to sell their valuable sled dogs, Will stops her. He remembers his father wanted to enter a big dog-sled race with a cash prize that could save the farm. Will decides to try and win it himself.
A Tough Journey Begins
For a month, Will trains hard with Ned Dodd (August Schellenberg), a Native American farmhand. Ned teaches him important physical and mental skills. After his training, Will travels to Winnipeg, Canada, to join the race. The main sponsor of the race, a rich railroad owner named J.W. Harper (David Ogden Stiers), first says Will is too late to enter.
But an American news reporter, Harry Kingsley (Kevin Spacey), sees a great story in Will. He gives Will the money needed for the late entry fee. Harper agrees, not wanting bad press in American newspapers. The other rich sponsors and experienced international dog mushers laugh at Will. They think a young boy has no chance against them.
Facing Challenges on the Trail
During the race, Will's energy and determination slowly earn the respect of the other mushers. Harper is also impressed, as he didn't expect Will to last even a day. Kingsley writes exciting articles about Will's bravery, calling him "Iron Will." He hopes these stories will make Will an American hero. However, the world is focused on World War I, so Kingsley's stories don't get much attention at first.
Will follows Ned's advice: "run longer, sleep less," start early, and keep racing for many hours and days. The race is over 500 miles long, through freezing blizzards and lonely snowy forests. Will faces extreme cold, steep mountains, and dangerous river crossings. He gets more and more tired and sick. One day, he even gives up his lead to save another competitor who fell ill with a spreading sickness.
Harper, the race sponsor, starts to understand Will's desire to win. He refuses to let Will drop out, seeing a bit of his own past struggles in the young man. But another race sponsor, Angus McTeague (Brian Cox), tries to cheat. He offers money to a mean Swedish competitor, Borg Guillarson (George Gerdes), to force Will out of the race. Borg uses unfair tricks against other mushers. He also tries to hurt Will, mocking him and even letting his big dogs attack Will's lead dog, Gus.
Will stands up to Borg's cheating. He also realizes that reporter Kingsley might just be using him to write exciting stories and get a promotion. However, when McTeague tries to bribe Will to quit, Kingsley overhears. He defends Will's honor and throws McTeague out. By standing up for Will, the reporter changes. He starts to help Will for good reasons, not just for a story. Will accepts his help, and they become friends.
The Finish Line
On the last day, Kingsley sees how sick and tired Will is. He urges Will to quit and see a doctor. But Will insists on finishing. Will finds himself following Borg on a dangerous shortcut. This path goes along a wild, icy river, just like the one where Will's father died. Before this, Will always avoided icy paths because of his fear. But now, he remembers Ned's advice. He finds the courage to trust his dog team and face the danger. Gus, his lead dog, has recovered enough to finish the race.
Borg tries to win by whipping his dogs, but they get too tired and turn on him. Will sees Borg being attacked by his own dogs. Will scares the dogs away, saving his enemy, and races past him on the dangerous shortcut. The huge crowd waiting at the finish line suddenly sees Will appear with a big lead. Will is exhausted from lack of sleep, battered by falls, and cut by tree branches. His sled flips over near the finish line, and he collapses.
Then, Ned whistles a familiar tune, and the crowd joins in, waking up the spirit of Will's father's dog, Gus. While the other racers get closer, Will struggles to stand up. He crosses the finish line just ahead of them! Falling to the ground, unable to stand, his fellow competitors help him up. He falls into his mother's arms for a hug. Spectators, along with Kingsley, Harper, and other officials, cheer for Will. They applaud his heroic victory and his amazing persistence.
Meet the Cast
Here are some of the main actors and the characters they play in Iron Will:
- Mackenzie Astin as Will Stoneman
- Kevin Spacey as Harry Kingsley
- David Ogden Stiers as J.W. Harper
- August Schellenberg as Ned Dodd
- Brian Cox as Angus McTeague
- George Gerdes as Borg Guillarson
- John Terry as Jack Stoneman
- Penelope Windust as Maggie Stoneman
- Rex Linn as Joe McPherson
- Richard Riehle as Burton
- Beau as Gus
Box Office Success
When Iron Will first opened in theaters, it earned over $5.3 million in its first weekend. Overall, the movie made more than $21 million in the United States. This shows that many people went to see this exciting adventure film!
Images for kids
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No. 14, the locomotive used for the film, being displayed inside the Lake Superior Railroad Museum
