Sigrid Thornton

Return to Snowy River (1988)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Return to Snowy River (1988)

Director:

Geoff Burrows

Writers:

John Dixon

Geoff Burrows

Starring:

Tom Burlinson

Sigrid Thornton

Brian Dennehy

Nicholas Eadie

Blurb:

Young Jim Craig returns to his home in the Australian high country. He finds that things are not as he left them – his girlfriend is being pursued by another man, and her father doesn’t want Jim back into her life.

Thoughts:

My favorite part of Return to Snowy River is near the beginning. Where Jim is going to get into a fistfight but is told there are better ways to prove his point, so he completely shows up the asshole. It’s one of those moments where I have a stupid grin on my face while watching. I love it.

I like the rest of the movie, a lot actually, but I never get that feeling again with it. Jim and his whole “I’ve got a start for us” to Jessica is annoying. He didn’t even talk to her before disappearing. It was presumptuous on his part to expect her to wait for him, in my opinion—fairly old school man. Still, you can’t beat the romance. Easily top ten in that category.

There’s not much to say about the filming. There didn’t appear to be any drama behind the scenes. A horse died, sadly, but that’s about it. Michael Douglas didn’t reprise his role, but honestly, Brian Dennehy did a great job, and Douglas wasn’t missed. Oh, and it appears as though the actual title is Return to Snowy River II, though that’s not on my DVD copy. Seriously, I wish they’d release a Blu-ray or add it to Disney+ in HD.

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The Man from Snowy River (1982)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

The Man from Snowy River (1982)

Director:

George Miller

Writers:

John Dixon

Cul Cullen

Starring:

Tom Burlinson

Kirk Douglas

Sigrid Thornton

Jack Thompson

Blurb:

In 1880s Australia, after young Jim Craig’s father dies, Jim takes a job at the Harrison cattle ranch, where he is forced to become a man.

Thoughts:

The scene near the end of The Man from Snowy River, where Jim, Tom Burlinson, rides his horse down the mountain, always fills me with excitement. I can’t help but grin at the screen while he rides after the wild horses. I love it. After years of re-watches, that feeling is always there. I hope it never goes away.

A few factoids on The Man from Snowy River, it’s based on a poem by Banjo Paterson, an Australian poet. It was the highest-grossing Australian film until Crocodile Dundee came out. My last one, the Craig family home, was actually built in Clear Hills and remains there. It burned down in a brush fire in 2006 but was rebuilt.

The film has a sweet romance, but the main story is Jim becoming a man. He’s inexperienced in life and sheltered in a way. Through the movie, he learns that he can stand firm in his morals and ideals. It’s really sweet.

Also, there are tons of shots of beautiful horses. It’s a gorgeous movie. The scenery almost makes me want to overcome my intense fear of all the spiders in Australia so that I can visit.