A FAR OFF PLACE. Directed by Miknel Salomon; written by Robert Caswell, Jonathan Hensleigh and Sally Robinson; produced by Eva Monley and Elaine Sperber for Walt Disney. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Ethan Randall and Sarel Bok. Rated PG.
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Part thriller and part travelogue, part eco-pick and part love story, A Far Off Place may have some trouble finding its audience. It's too intense for younger, inexperienced moviegoers; and adults will find it much too predictable.
But the story is nonetheless exciting, the young actors are appealing and the cinematography is gorgeous. Parents could certainly spend worse afternoons at the movies. And my kids (eight and twelve) thought it was terrific.
Nonnie (Witherspoon) has lived all her life in southern Africa, near the Kalahari Desert (the movie was actually filmed in Zimbabwe and Namibia). And she obviously loves the land and the animals. She wants to go out hunting elephant poachers with her friend Mopani (Maximillian Schell), but her dad won't let her.
Harry (Randall), visiting from America, is quite different. He can't see that there's anything to do in Africa, since he has no TV or movies to entertain him.
But the two teenagers are forced together when the poachers kill their parents. Running for their lives with Nonnie's Bushman friend Xhabbo (Bok), they end up having to cross the formidable desert.
Nothing in the story is unexpected, although the ferociousness of the poachers is somewhat shocking for a family movie. Nonnie and Harry's shifting relationship, from mutual dislike to respect and affection, is the most predictable element. But the actors are believable as well as appealing, and the sweetness of their very restrained love story will charm all but the most un-romantic viewers.
Although this is his first movie to direct, Salomon is an accomplished cinematographer (for The Abyss and Backdraft, among others). The Namib desert, with its incredibly large and beautiful dunes, subs for the Kalahari in A Far Off Place. And the views of it are almost worth the price of admission on their own.
Another plus is the "Roger Rabbit" cartoon showing with the movie. It's the best one yet, full of non-stop mayhem and hilarity.
March 17, 1993