Cheap The Journey of Natty Gann (DVD) (Meredith Salenger, John Cusack) (Jeremy Paul Kagan) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of The Journey of Natty Gann

Set in Chicago during the Great Depression, this inspirational story is about a young girl named Natty Gann's (Meredith Salenger) search for her father (Ray Wise) after he is forced to suddenly travel west to take on a job. Along the way, she is befriended by a wolf and a young drifter named Harry (John Cusack) with whom she develops a romantic attachment.

As it turns out, The Journey of Natty Gann is an enjoyable romp with decent acting especially from Meredith Salenger, glorious visuals, a realistic depiction of the Great Depression, and a beautiful score by James Horner. Unfortunately, it's no longer available on video (it was last released in 1995) which is a shame because it remains a favorite among many people including myself. Disney seems to be embarrassed of their 80's family films as hardly any of them appear still available. To sum it all up, The Journey of Natty Gann is just - wow!

Endearing story of the Depression
This is a little-known Disney movie that is probably one of the studio's best live-action films. This was one of my childhood favorites, and, when I saw it again recently, it became one of my adulthood favorites.

The story takes place in the midst of the Great Depression and starts out in Chicago. Natty and her father are struggling to make ends meet, but still manage to love each other and survive. Trouble comes when Natty's father finally gets a job - in Washington. Unable to find Natty to tell her, he leaves her a note and leaves her in the charge of an overbearing boardinghouse owner. Fed up with bad treatment and not wanting to believe that her father abandoned her, Natty sets out to meet up with her father, hopping on trains and hitching rides west. Along the way, she helps free a wolf who is being used in dog fights. She and the wolf meet up later and become companions. Natty also joins up with John Cusack, another drifter looking for work.

The movie includes beautiful scenery and an interesting portrayal of Depression-era America. The relationships are also fascinating. For instance, Natty only calls the wolf "wolf," and still recognizes that he is a wild animal. In other words, she doesn't attempt to make him into a pet. Additionally, her relationship with John Cusack's character is not silly, self-conscious, or filled with expectation.

Another reviewer noted that the DVD version of this movie is disappointing. I found the quality of my DVD to be absolutely fine. There are no special features, but the film itself is of decent quality.

This is a sweet, fascinating movie that is appropriate for children and adults and should immediately be considered a classic.

Decent movie, bad transfer
A good period piece about people struggling to find work during the depression. When Natty's father leaves Chicago, Illinois and goes to Seattle, Washington for a job at a lumber camp he leaves her behind. He misses her when he has to leave so he tells her in a letter he will send for her. When she decides she can't wait she strikes out on her own. She runs into John Cusack's character and helps a wolf escape from a dogfighting ring. Her adventure getting to her father is difficult and enriching. She travels the rails and highways to get there. A little slow in parts but overall a decent family movie. If only Disney had thought enough of this movie to make a good transfer to DVD. I was appalled at how bad it was during the opening credits. The credits jumped around on the screen. The rest of the movie was not as bad as that but it was a little grainy, not clear and sharp like we usually see with Disney films. That probably explains why I have seen it selling for what it is sold here or less.