# Adventures of Huck Finn, The (1993)

### reviewed by
James Berardinelli

                               THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN
                           A film review by James Berardinelli
                            Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli

    Date Released:  4/2/93
    Running Length:  1:48
    Rated:  PG (Mature themes, violence)

    Starring:  Elijah Wood, Cortney B. Vance, Robbie Coltrane,
               Jason Robards
    Director:  Stephen Sommers
    Producer:  Laurence Mark
    Screenplay:  Stephen Sommers
    Music:  Bill Conti
    Released by Walt Disney Pictures

Huck Finn (Elijah Wood) is a young lad with a penchant for getting into mischief. He spends the bulk of his days playing truant from school, getting into fights, and lying to his two female guardians about how he got black eyes. One day, Huck's drunken, good-for-nothing father (Ron Perlman) arrives and takes his son away with him, looking for a way to get his hands on $600 left to Huck by his late mother. Huck escapes from his father's clutches, and, in the company of a runaway slave by the name of Jim (Cortney B. Vance), sets off on a journey by boat down the Mississippi with the eventual goal of getting Jim's freedom. Along the way, the pair meets a number of interesting people and become involved in several adventures.

Whenever a book is adapted into a movie, there are sacrifices and interpretations that must be made because the totality of the written work cannot possibly be translated to the screen. The choices become even more difficult when the work is one as widely-read and well-beloved as Mark Twain's THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN. In the case of this latest filmed version, Stephen Sommers' script is faithful in spirit--if not in all the details--to the original. Much of Twain's keen insight into human nature, as well as his finely-tuned sense-of-humor, is kept intact in Disney's 1993 THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN. It should be noted, however, that significant chunks of the novel are missing--including the bulk of the ending--and the character of Tom Sawyer doesn't make an appearance. While it's easy to debate the merits of what was cut, the final result manages to convey a good sense of some of the book's scope

Family films are something of a scarcity, and those that fit into the category of "good entertainment" even less common. THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN is one such rare movie. Very young children may be a little frightened by some of the violence in the film but, overall, it's an excellent choice for a family's night out. As is true of the book, there are many levels on which the story can be enjoyed. Children will like the adventure, but there's plenty to keep adults engrossed as well. Much of the wit will certainly go over the heads of younger viewers, as will the clever characterizations of several of the people who cross Huck's path.

Young Elijah Wood shows enough aptitude to carry this film. Once he puts on the suspenders and the attitude, he is decidedly convincing. With good supporting performances by Jason Robards as The King and Robbie Coltrane as The Duke, the acting in THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN is without problems.

One of the things that impressed me the most about this movie is the realism of the river scenes. Of necessity, less of the movie takes place on the Mississippi than in the book, but the river remains an important part of the plot and the cinematography is notable. It's genuinely awe-inspiring, and a little frightening, to see a giant steamboat bearing down on a little raft, and the scenes on the sinking boat are handled expertly.

Disney has a reputation for watering down subjects that may cause controversy. HUCK FINN is a story with a single major issue--that of slavery--at its core. Unlike the book, the movie never uses the word "nigger" (it's an omission that's not particularly noticeable and certainly less offensive), but that's about the only thing that's obviously sanitized. The evils of slavery are shown--rather graphically, at times--and it would be wrong to assume that THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN doesn't have a social agenda. Also displayed with frankness is the brutality of Huck's father. Other versions have toned this down, but Sommers' script is, in this instance, completely faithful to the book.

Some will doubtless argue that this latest updating of the story of Huckleberry Finn didn't need to be made. Regardless, the 1993 version of HUCK FINN is an entertaining and worthwhile movie experience with a solid story to please just about everyone in the family. It's not a milestone motion picture, nor can it be considered the definitive adaptation of Twain's work, but, on the whole, it deserves some recognition and credit.

                               Rating: 8.3 (B+, ***)

- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)

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