In William Dear‘s Wild America, a trio of brothers in the 1960s embarked on a journey across America to film endangered wildlife.
The film is narrated in the first person by its youngest protagonist, Marshall (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), with internal monologues offering direct access to the inner world of his thoughts.
This approach introduces a nostalgic vibe to the story (almost like reading an excellent Coming-of-Age novel). Yet, it doesn’t diminish the fun and adventurous spirit of the narrative.
Undoubtedly, much of the film’s appeal is owed to the acting talent and charming appearance of the young Jonathan Taylor Thomas (thus the many close-ups on his face reacting to various happenings and sayings). For many of his fans (past and present), JTT’s name would be enough of an enticement to give the film a chance.

The adventures are in abundance. After all, in how many films would you witness a young boy thrown into all kinds of bizarre situations — close to bears, crocodiles, and highly angered moose? Most of the film’s events are unlikely to happen in real life, yet one has to cut some slack for a movie whose primary goal is to entertain, be it through silly yet thrilling ventures.
The film’s plot is inspired by the documentation of Mark Stouffer‘s real-life experiences and those of his two younger brothers. Therefore, it is also possible that my envy for the boys’ adventures hinders my judgment of the implausible possibility that such adventures (singing a lullaby to the bears, feeding a crocodile with a flashlight, riding on the horns of an angered moose) ever happened.
For a film released in 1998, many of the scenes remain relevant to present-day youth, featuring daredevil stunts and risky, adventurous challenges in the pursuit of that killer video clip destined to go viral. So, in a way, the film’s fast-paced scenes will appeal especially to preteen audiences who may forgive the narrative’s lack of consistency or the incredible, clichéd finale.
I didn’t take much from this film and didn’t consider it a fine example of coming-of-age cinema, but neither was I bored while watching it. While I can’t extend a wholehearted recommendation, the film would make a perfect choice for a relaxed Sunday afternoon.
Trailer
[imdb]https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120512/reference[/imdb]
