Thehibikiew Not even bad in a good way

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Leoni Haney Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

bilesteve-749-834229 If I could give a rating lower than 1 star, this movie would deserve it. It has almost no connection to the reality of a great and true story and should never been made like this.The true story of Mary Draper Ingles in readily available and like others, I read the novel of "Follow the River" by Mr. Thom and it was outstanding and hugely impressive story of a real American heroine. Her real story deserves to be told as awful as it was without the revisionism of someone politically correct with little connection to the true story other than names.Because I loved the Thom novel so much, I sought out and bought the manuscript written by her son in the early 1800s. Looking at her son's account (as told to him by his mother and father), Thom did very little embellishment to the true account, whereas the writers of this movie changed most everything to make it a happy little story.Don't waste your time or money to see this version, get the basics from and Internet search and a fuller understanding of the reality by reading Thom's novel.Mary Draper Ingles was probably one of the strongest women that I have ever heard (or not heard) of, not only physically, but mentally, spiritually, and of will. She deserves an accurate portrayal of her losses and her indomitable will. She is a true heroine to me, not this worse than sugar-coated fairy tale.

offylover James Alexander Thom writes novels that absolutely grip you with their intense realism, authentic settings and sometimes unexpectedly amusing content. His greatest work I believe is Panther in the Sky (a story of the Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and Tenkswatawa the Prophet). Don't miss it! Hopefully it will not be made into a movie as unfeeling as Follow the River.This movie has the two returning women (on a 1000 mile journey) wearing clothes whose length would never permit them to travel through the woods, let alone do so without being torn to shreds. Everyone is portrayed as being forever clean, looking well-fed and with their hair always in place. The constantly changing relationship between the two women (as shown in the film) is obviously contrived and ultimately became very boring. An excellent adult book was made into a children's fantasy.

frostybird I know it has been 10 years since this show aired, but now that I'm registered at IMDb I felt it necessary for my FIRST comment to go to the one show that has forever been stuck in my mind as having been ruined - Follow The River. I, like Mari-36, read the book in my teen years (my mother's copy as well) loved the book so immensely. When the movie aired on television, I was dumb-founded that anything could be so contrived. Especially when the book (even though itself was only based on the true story of Mary Ingles) layed everything out on the table. The screenplay was molly-coddled for all of the sensitive people out there in tele-world and it would have to be considering it is public television, aired during family hours. Would public television, in 1995, be able to show a gray-haired Mary in nothing but her "bare" essentials? It REALLY should have been made into a 3hr movie for the true movie buffs out there (preferably directed by James Cameron). That way, the people involved with writing the script wouldn't have to mamby-pamby around. It's possible that THEY even wanted to give it a broader scope, but considering the audience is a must when you write for t.v.My advice - skip the show, read the novel.... twice. :)

DansLaLuna1 A few years ago, I was at a pub in Santa Monica, CA. Having a beer and reading John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meaney". A man was sitting next to me and we struck up conversation about the book, and if it could be made in to a movie (Which, sad to say, it sort of was in the guise of "Simon Birch", another book ruined by Hollywood, but I digress)This man then asked me what great book I had read which I thought would be a great movie, and I said "Follow the River". I explained the story to him (Mari's review is great)and even that I would cast Eric Schweig as Wildcat. Less than a year later, viola, this god-awful movie shows up on television (and I don't think it was a coincidence). This book is so beautiful, a tale of strong will and courage, overcoming great odd's. And it's turned into American-pie everyone lives happily ever after fodder. Why must Hollywood take wonderful books and ruin them. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!