IslandGuru Who payed the critics

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Hitchcoc This is a terrific movie with Lionel Barrymore, Spencer Tracy, and Freddy Bartholomew, among others. It is the story of a spoiled child who has never lacked for anything, falling off his father's ocean liner and being picked up by Manuel (Tracy) and brought to their fishing boat. He makes demands on the crew, feeling Iike the world should stop because he is on the ship. They, however, have to get to the Grand Banks and fish at the most opportune time for them. They will get him back in due time, but for now, he is meaningless to them. Not really meaningless, but certainly an annoyance. This is about a change of the soul. The boy goes through a transition as he gets to know the men he eventually works with. He gets to know that people work for a living and life is hard. He also gets to know a loneliness. Bartholomew is a sad figure because it's obvious that his own father, Melvyn Douglas, has had little time for him. This is a beautiful story which creates changes from the book but stands on its own.

jacobs-greenwood Director Victor Fleming brought this Rudyard Kipling story about life and relationships on a fishing boat to the screen. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture of the year; its Screenplay earned Oscar nominations for Marc Connelly, John Lee Mahin, and Dale Van Evry (representing Connelly's and Evry's only Academy recognition); Editor Elmo Veron earned his only Oscar nomination as well.It also includes the first of consecutive Best Actor Oscar performances by Spencer Tracy (equaled by Tom Hanks) on his second of three straight nominations (not equaled by Hanks). The film also stars Freddie Bartholomew, Lionel Barrymore, and Melvyn Douglas. Mickey Rooney, John Carradine, and Charley Grapewin also appear. #94 on AFI's 100 Most Inspiring Movies list.Tracy is Manuel, a talented fisherman on Barrymore's boat. Bartholomew is the spoiled brat son of Douglas who, through circumstances of his own making, ends up on Barrymore's boat. The boy quickly learns that he doesn't rule the roost on this boat and must shape up fast if he's going to survive. His growth as a person is helped by his relationship with Manuel, which is at first fiery, but he then becomes a father figure to the needy boy.

kijii Based on the classic novel by Rudyard Kipling this, to me, is THE coming-of-age story (and movie). (I would place The Yearling as a close second in this category.) I think that this should be one of the 'Movie Essentials' and should be seen by people of all ages. There is no sense doing a re-make of this movie. Any attempt would just be a poor imitation of the original. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Film Editing Oscars, and Spencer Tracy won his first of two consecutive Oscars for Best Actor (the second was for Boy's Town in 1938). The movie is about a very rich and totally spoiled boy—conveyed to us in the opening in its screens. The boy's father Mr. Cheyne (Melvyn Douglas) is trying to connect with his son, Harvey (Freddie Bartholomew), by spending time with him after he was thrown out of school. To do this, Mr. Cheyne takes time off from his work to take his son to Europe on a luxury liner owned by his company. After getting sick from sodas, Harvey runs to the deck and falls overboard in the North Atlantic.Soon, a fishing dory picks Harvey out of the ocean. Harvey tries to use his money and influence to have the Portuguese fisherman, Manuel (Spencer Tracy), take him back to the ship or to New York. But, neither Manuel nor the fishing ship's captain, Disko (Lionel Barrymore), pays any attention to Harvey's wishes. As far as they are concerned, he is now aboard a fishing vessel and will not go home until they do---with a load of fish at the end of the season. Since Harvey seems to be impossible to deal with, the captain puts Manuel in charge of him. The crew calls Harvey Manuel's Jonah—'any person..regarded as bringing bad luck' (Dictionary.com)Under Manuel, Harvey leans to work and fish, by being a cook's helper, cutting bait, and becoming Manuel's dory mate. Often Manuel allows Harvey to make his own mistakes, while watching him carefully. Harvey corrects himself, constantly becoming more determined and confident to become as good a fisherman as Manuel. When Manuel makes a wager with Long Jack (John Carradine) about which one can catch the most fish in one day, Manuel chooses Harvey as his dory mate. Long Jack becomes entangled in his own fish line and Manuel learns that Harvey had purposely tangled the line in order to win. When he discovers this, he makes Harvey throw his fish back into the ocean and returns to the ship, purposely losing the wager to teach Harvey that he can't win by cheating. Manuel becomes like a father to Harvey. He tells him all about HIS own father; how they fished together; how he wasn't sad when his father died; how he died doing what he loved; how he now fished in heaven in his own dory; and how his father had left him with rich memories and a simple hurdy gurdy to play, while he made up songs to sing. After the ship is loaded with fish, it races another ship back to Gloucester. During a storm, Manuel is killed when the mast that he is on breaks and tosses him, mortally wounded, into the ocean.As with all truly great coming-of-age stories, Harvey has to suffer some significant losses as he grows into manhood. The loss of his temporary father figure, Manuel, is deep and abiding, and Harvey has to transcend it by taking the memories and lessons of Manuel into his adult life. While never forgetting Manuel, he and his own father bind together as father and son, having far more to offer each other than they did in the past. COMMENTS: While Spencer Tracy dominates this movie, the entire cast turns in fine performances: Lionel Barrymore could have hardly been better, and some of the shots of him from this movie might well have served as the enduring image of 'the Gloucester Fisherman.' Mickey Rooney, who played Barrymore's son, Dan, played second fiddle to Freddie Bartholomew, as he did in other movies of the period. However, he did it very well and one appreciates how professionally he pulls off his small role. Freddie Bartholomew is overly obnoxious at the beginning, but just as his character evolves, one begins to enjoy him more as the movie progresses.

PamelaShort This is one of those films where the words a magnificent classic truly applies. Metro Goldwyn Mayer superbly brings Rudyard Kipling's beloved novel to life on screen. The studio cleverly tailored the role from the novel about the nineteen year old spoilt lad, for twelve year old child actor Freddie Bartholomew , who delivers an astounding performance. His portrayal of the spoilt rich boy , Harvey Cheyne, who learns valuable lessons about love and respect is most believable and heart-touching. Spencer Tracy masterfully plays Manuel , the humble Portuguese dory-man who takes charge of the cocky lad patiently teaching him acceptable behaviour. Tracy deservedly won his first Oscar for Best Actor with his moving and endearing performance. Lionel Barrymore is excellent as Captain Disko, and Melvyn Douglas gives an understanding portrayal of the elder Cheyne. Mickey Rooney along with veteran character actors John Carradine and Charley Grapewin equally bring their own unique acting talents to this poignant tale. High production values and fine cinematography bring the depiction of the fishermen alive , with beautiful photography of schooners sailing and dories being lowered into a running sea capturing the perfect atmosphere. A synopsis cannot replace the pleasure of watching this classic film , but I caution the reader to be prepared for a real tearjerker.