Shipwrecked (1990 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shipwrecked |
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International theatrical release poster
by John Alvin |
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| Directed by | Nils Gaup |
| Produced by | John M. Jacobsen Nigel Wooll |
| Written by | O.V. Falck-Ytter (novel) Nils Gaup Bob Foss Greg Dinner Nick Thiel |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Patrick Doyle |
| Cinematography | Erling Thurmann-Andersen |
| Editing by | Nils Pagh Andersen |
| Studio | Walt Disney Pictures AB Svensk Filmindustri |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 3 October 1990 (United States) 1 March 1991 (Norway) 1 August 1991 (Sweden) |
| Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | Norway Sweden United States |
| Language | Norwegian English |
| Budget | 60 million Norwegian Kroner (around $8.7 million in 1989) |
| Money made | $15.1 million |
Shipwrecked (Norwegian: Haakon Haakonsen) is an exciting 1990 family adventure movie. It was directed by Nils Gaup. The main actors are Stian Smestad and Gabriel Byrne.
The film is based on a book by the Norwegian author Oluf Falck-Ytter. The book is called Haakon Haakonsen: En Norsk Robinson. This means Haakon Haakonsen: A Norwegian Robinson. Many companies from Scandinavia helped make the movie. Walt Disney Pictures released an English version in the United States.
Contents
The Story of Shipwrecked
Haakon's Journey Begins
The movie starts in Norway in the 1850s. A young boy named Haakon Haakonsen (played by Stian Smestad) lives there. His father gets hurt, so Haakon must help his family. He becomes a cabin boy on a ship.
A family friend named Jens (Trond Peter Stamsø Munch) is also on the ship. Jens acts like an older brother to Haakon. Haakon finds it hard to get used to life at sea at first. But soon, he earns the respect of the other sailors.
Danger at Sea
After a stop in London, a British officer joins the crew. He says his name is Howell. He claims he is there to protect the ship from pirates. But Haakon soon learns that Howell has secretly brought guns onto the ship. Howell tries to make Haakon keep this a secret.
The ship's captain, who everyone liked, mysteriously dies. Howell then takes over the ship. When they arrive in Sydney, Australia, the sailors are not allowed to go ashore. Instead, a new group of suspicious sailors comes aboard.
A Storm and a New Friend
After leaving Australia, Haakon finds a stowaway girl named Mary (Louisa Milwood-Haigh). She becomes a close friend. Life on the ship gets very difficult for Haakon, Jens, and the original sailors. The new captain, Howell, finds Mary. He demands to know who has been helping her.
Haakon bravely says it was him. Howell orders Haakon to be whipped. Jens protests, saying it would be too harsh. A terrible storm then hits the ship. It damages the main mast and eventually sinks the ship. Haakon manages to save Mary from her cell. But in the chaos, he gets separated from everyone else.
Lost on a Tropical Island
Haakon wakes up alone on a deserted tropical island. He searches the island and finds a hidden treasure. He also finds wanted posters for a pirate named Merrick. Merrick looks exactly like Howell! It turns out the real Howell was killed by Merrick. Merrick then took Howell's place.
Haakon realizes that the suspicious new sailors are actually pirates. They had hidden their treasure on the island. They will soon return to get it. Haakon starts to train himself with a sword and a gun. He even befriends a gorilla on the island. He uses a horn to calm the gorilla, and it becomes like a pet. Haakon sets up traps to prepare for the pirates' return.
Finding Friends Again
Even though Haakon adjusts to island life, he misses Jens and his family. One day, he sees smoke from another island far away. He tries many times to reach it using a raft he built.
He finally arrives and finds a village of native people. Haakon sees Mary in a difficult situation with some natives. He misunderstands what is happening. He reveals himself and fires his gun to scare them. Then, he bumps into Jens! Jens explains that the natives are peaceful. They had saved his and Mary's lives. The three friends are very happy to be together again. They leave for Haakon's island the next day.
The Final Battle
Soon after, the three friends see the pirates arrive. The pirates have captured Berg (Knut Walle) and Steine (Harald Brenna). These are two of Jens' friends who survived the shipwreck. Haakon's traps do not work as planned. So, he quickly comes up with a new idea to save his friends.
That night, Mary secretly goes onto the pirate ship. She frees the remaining crew members. They manage to overpower the pirate guards and take back their ship. Meanwhile, on land, Haakon and Jens distract the pirates. This allows them to free Berg and Steine. They all narrowly make it back to the ship. The pirates are left stranded on the island.
Haakon, Jens, Mary, and the freed crew sail back to Norway. Each person keeps a small share of the treasure. Haakon decides to use his share to help his family, who are not rich. Back home, Haakon reunites with his family. He introduces them to Mary. His parents agree to let Mary stay with them until she can find her own relatives.
Meet the Characters
Haakon Haakonson
- Haakon Haakonson (played by Stian Smestad) is a young Norwegian boy. He becomes a cabin boy on a ship. At first, he is shy because his family is poor. But after being alone on the island, he becomes much more confident and brave.
Lt. John Merrick (The Pirate)
- Lt. John Merrick (played by Gabriel Byrne) is the pirate captain. He pretends to be a member of the English military. He takes over Haakon's ship after the first captain dies. He makes life very hard for everyone on board.
Jens
- Jens (played by Trond Peter Stamsø Munch) is a family friend of Haakon's. He is also a sailor. He promised Haakon's father he would look out for Haakon on the ship. He acts like Haakon's guardian.
Mary
- Mary (played by Louisa Milwood-Haigh) is a young girl who hides on the ship. She is looking for her uncle in Calcutta. She ran away from a workhouse in Australia. She had been sent there after her parents died.
Other Crew Members
- Berg (Knut Walle) is one of Jens' shipmates.
- Steine (Harald Brenna) is another one of Jens' shipmates.
