Totally unrealistic

People don’t generally watch movies for realism at least not totally. The only adults Sam really encounters were Bando, Mrs. Tunner and the hunter that killed Frightful. Mrs. Tunner he first meets in the Library nothing for her to think that he just didn’t live in town or was visiting someone, the same is the case for when they bump into each other on the hill. The hunter probably just thought he was kid from the area out exploring. As far as Bando I suppose that was strange but there would be no story if Bando had turned Sam in.

The guy in the helicopter wasn’t looking for anyone just checking out the report of smoke but since it had been put out he had no reason to look around. Sure there was proof of a fire but that just says someone camped there and probably moved on.

Also Sam was not gone for a year he said he would be but did not end up being gone that long. We can take this by the newspaper article that Bando shows Sam at the end its dated October and states he has been gone four months already at that point. So he would have left home in July and goes home end of December (25 to be exact) so he would have been gone about six months.

I thought it was a really great film. Shows how one can truly live off the land if they had too or wanted too. I plan on reading the books there are three of them.

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I agree that it is quite unrealistic. Would parents allow a child to just leave like that? We know he is supposed to be highly intelligent, but no kid just hops a bus and goes out to live in nature that easily.

First, this movie was made from a book written in 1959. Things were different then and kids were often living on their own, or providing for their families by the time they were teens. It's not really that far fetched to think of Sam living off the wild. He is very resourceful. Second, in the book he didn't really run away. He told his father where he was going. I think a lot of the "spirit of the book" was used while creating the film. Third, in the books he is very careful about just how much he reveals about himself until he gets to know the person. I think again the film wants us to inference this.
Last, everyone knew he was doing fine for himself and that he did not want to fully be discovered and respected that!
There are 3 books. They are a good read!

You're a dope.

Much more unrealistic by today's standards, but in the 1960s, it still
could have been possible. Sam was 13 years old in the book, and in those days, it
was still common for children of that age to hitchhike, go camping or hiking on their own, or even run away from home for a period of time. There was a popular subgenre
of children's books in that era that dealt with runaway children surviving by their wits, and such stories were seen as adventurous to that generation of children who were fascinated by the living-off-the-land lifestyle of the 1960s hippies. Unfortunately, because of the naivete of the general public and the authorities back then, a lot of children who were assumed to be "runaways" were
probably victims of crimes; missing persons searches of that time weren't as rigorous as they are today.

A book and film with this premise could probably never be made today; Sam would
be searched for more extensively, quickly found and sent for psychiatric evaluation; his parents would be charged with criminal neglect; the librarian
would be questioned and poor Bando would be arrested and accused of being a sex offender just for associating, however innocently, with the boy.


I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

OP is trolling masterfully.

To those who lend realism to the unrealistic desires of this thread, there are a few points to consider.
The film (and I am guessing the book) are set in Canada. It is much easier to get out and lose yourself in the wilderness there; especially for a smart kid. I would even suggest a smart and ambitious 12 year old child could still do this today in a few states of the US like Montana and Wyoming. His/her success and ability to last even a month is another matter, but the main of the point is whether or not his journey is realistic. And it is.

The Bando relationship is also realistic. He seemed like a cool dude who probably understands what Sam is going for (maybe he has gone through it before himself) and while being somewhat skeptical, he is fine giving him a chance to do his thing in peace. You notice he did come back to check on Sam when the going went tough. What is strange or creepy about all this unless you, yourself bring the strange and creepy? You don't get to blame anyone else for that.
The same is true about the librarian...she seemed cool and respectful toward the child. She also took interest enough later to make sure Sam had a christmas meal. There were and are still some places in the world that are not completely full of busybodies and informers.
The only quibble with merit is the forest ranger who lands for a one minute inspection. He certainly would have been in the area longer.

The only thing unrealistic or, to be more accurate, what bothered me most was the powerlines clearly visible from his main campsite. If I were in his shoes, I would have seen that and realized I was not "far enough away" and would have pressed on further. The part of me that is still a 12 year old boy who wants to be out there was pretty uncomfortable about that.


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It is a children's movie, not a math class.