The Use Of Calming Supplements For Horses In Movies

You might be surprised at the amount of training, and perhaps calming supplements for horses, that it takes to get a horse to behave on a movie set.

Since the very beginning of motion pictures, horses have been a staple on the silver screen. In fact, the very first “motion picture” considered by many is Eadweard Muybridge’s combined still photos spun in a zoopraxiscope was of a running horse. Ever since then, horses have been used in countless movies.

Calming Supplements For Horses In Movies Controversy

To the audience, it seems effortless whenever we see a character jump on the back of a horse and ride off. However, in order to get that horse to behave and perform for the camera takes an intensive amount of training and preparation, and often times even some of the best calming supplement for horses. Some would argue that the horses are better cared for than the film crew or actors.

On the other hand, there are those who feel that giving calming supplements to horses is simply a way of “drugging” the animal. The fear is that the animals are too stressed on the set, which can be considered cruelty to the horse.

In recent years, there have been some minor protests and boycotts of movies that had used horses. Sheila Johnson of the horse rights group, HELP, which stands for help equines live prosperously, told us that horses that have been used in movies tend to die younger and develop emotional problems more so than their non-acting peers. She was unable to provide us with any conclusive documentation to back up her claims, however.

Wilbur Followsby is the founder of Silver Screen Equine, a movie and TV show barn which has been supplying horses for films and TV for three decades. Followsby is frequently contracted to watch over the horse handling on TV and movie sets, and he assured us that Hollywood’s equines are very well cared for and kept happy and safe at all times. He said that there are very strict laws in place regarding the treatment of animals, and that maintaining a happy and healthy animal crew is his top priority.

best calming supplement for horses in movies

Wilbur Followsby and his crew on a recent set.

Just like humans, each horse has it’s own personality. Before a horse is allowed on set, it is vetted for it’s behavior. If an animal is a bit too skittish, Followsby said that giving them a little calming supplement helps the horse to relax and causes no adverse effects. “For the safety of both the actors and the animals, supplementing the horse is a safe and effective means of getting it to relax just that extra bit that is needed,” Followsby said.

Followsby also told us that they try to also implement holistic options to try to calm the horse, like those seen in this video.

Most horses in movies are going to take part in a rowdy scene or two, often times with gunfire. This action-packed, loud activity can naturally spook even the calmest horse. However, thanks to their extended training, and a little help from the supplements, most horses seem to cope just fine to their role.

The movies sets are also always specially prepared to horses to be on set. For example, if a stampeded scene will be involved, the ground is specially prepared in order to make it easier on the horses legs and joints.

The wranglers and actors are also specially trained on how to treat the horses. There is no beating or whipping allowed. Instead, extra patience is taught and practiced.

Finally, when a movie horse is ready to retire, they are found good forever homes and families that vow to give them a comfortable rest of their life.

Yeti Coolers Make Filming In California More Tolerable

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 02:17 pm

Being that most movies are made in California, the temperatures on the sets can often be quite hot. It can be difficult at times to keep enough cold beverages and snacks on hand to keep the crew satisfied. That’s why it’s important that there are enough coolers available at all times. By far, the most common type of cooler that we see on the sets are Yeti coolers.

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Yeti Coolers Are Worth The Money

If you’re not familiar with the brand Yeti Coolers, you should be. They are perhaps the best cooler for the money on the market. Yeti coolers for sale are bear-proof and nearly indestructible. This is important when you’re on the set of a high-action movie, where you never know what could happen. With explosions and action scenes happening all the time, if a piece of equipment like a Yeti cooler gets in the way, it could take a beating. Not to mention that moving around from one set to another, film equipment tends to get banged around quite a bit.

yeti coolers for sale onlineYeti coolers are also known for their tremendous ice retention. This is extremely important on the movie set, so as to keep snacks and beverages plenty cold for the crew. In fact, having enough cold drinks on hand is a safety issue in the hot California weather. The last thing that the crew wants to deal with is a sick or injured crew member, which could cause serious delays. Delays in filming can costs tens of thousands of dollars per day. That’s just one of the reasons why the film crews feel that Yeti coolers are worth the price. They see the Yeti cooler as a cheap insurance policy that helps reduce down time while filming.

When we are out on location, we do occasionally see other brands of coolers on the sets. The most common seem to be Pelican, Orca, and Bison coolers. And from speaking with crew members, they do seem to be quite happy with those coolers. But undoubtedly, the most popular one we see is the Yeti Tundra cooler. This is likely due to the large size of the Yeti Tundra. It can hold an impressive amount of drinks and snacks for the crew. And again, the ice retention of the Tundra is outstanding. Once in a while we will see the smaller Yeti Roadie, but that more often than not is a crew member’s personal cooler.

Yeti Coolers For Sale Online

If Yeti coolers are the go to cooler for Hollywood filmmakers, no wonder they are also a top pick among fans. So, before you write in to ask us, we’ll just go ahead and tell you where you can get Yeti coolers for sale online. One of our staff members has a buddy who works at the Gulf Shores Marina in Alabama. They recently began offering Yeti coolers for sale online. Thanks to this relationship, we have arranged a special deal with them to offer Yeti coolers at a discount to our readers. All you need to do is head on over to FishingFortMorgan.com and contact them about the deal. Just mention that you were referred by us. The special deal only runs until the end of the month, however.

303 Fabric Guard Makes Our Movies Shine

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 02:17 pm

This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with some of the crew working on the upcoming film, Driven To The Edge, starring Vincent Chamberlain. The crew talked about how they get their props and costumes to shine on screen using everyday household products, such as 303 Fabric Guard, Pledge, and Windex.

303 Fabric Guard Keeps Costumes Looking Like New

Jacob Sanderson, one of the folks responsible to maintaining the costumes on the set, told us that his favorite product to use to keep his costumes looking fresh and new is 303 Fabric Guard. He said that he had tried some comparisons between 303 Fabric Guard vs Starbrite fabric protector and he always found the 303 product to work better for him than the Starbrite.

Jacob said that he applies the 303 Fabric Guard as soon as he brings a new costume onto set, and he re-applies the product about every other month. According to Jacob, the 303 Aerospace product is very easy to apply and seems to last longer than the other products he has used in the past.

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Jacob with one of his costumes

Jacob said he first found out about the product from his good friend and fishing captain, Ron Kellie, who runs a charter service at http://lakeforkprofishingguide.com/. Jacob was impressed with the like-new condition of captain Ron’s boat, and he inquired how Ron was able to keep it looking so nice. That’s when Ron told Jacob that his secret was using 303 Fabric Guard. Up until that point, Jacob had been using Starbrite, but with mixed results.

303 Fabric Guard Protects Some Of Hollywood’s Most Famous Cars

If you’ve seen any movie with a famous car in it (think Batmobile, etc…), then you’ve seen the work of Austin Taylor. Austin is the man in charge of keeping some of the most famous movie cars in history looking top-notch. It’s one thing to get your personal car ready for a Sunday cruise, but it’s another to make a car “pop” on screen.

We asked Austin what some of his secrets were for making the cars look like a million bucks. He told us that just like Jacob, he uses 303 Fabric Guard on the interior of the cars with cloth, or 303 Leather Protectant on those with leather. He said that the 303 products keep the cars protected from the stains, dirt, and debris that can often times be created on set.

“With a lot of the movies that I work on, there are often times big explosions, and those can create quite a bit of dust and dirt. The 303 helps protect the cars and makes cleaning them up a snap”, Austin said. Austin told us that he uses a variety of the 303 Aerospace products to keep the movies cars looking great. According to Austin, they offer the best combination of ease of use and protection out of any of the products he has tried.

As far as any windows or other glass on the set, either on a vehicle or otherwise, Austin said that he uses good ol’ Windex. He told us that when it comes to glass, simpler is better.

So, there you have it. A few insider secrets from those working behind the scenes in Hollywood. Basic, simple products that any of us can purchase, such as 303 Fabric Guard, are what the pros use to make their movies shine.

James Bonds Q Boat Secret Hydraulic Steering System

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 02:17 pm

One of the most iconic chase scenes of the later James Bond movies is the Q boat chase down the Thames River (The World Is Not Enough). James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan ) using an advanced boat hydraulic steering system guides the sleek black Q boat through a series of tight squeezes in pursuit of the bad guys.

This fantastic Q boat came equipped with torpedoes, flames coming out of the back of the boat and many other features. In one scene in the chase, a bridge comes down and the Q boat dives under the water using a “dive” button on the console of the boat. Of course, part of the fantasy of the chase scene is that some of the features are not possible on boats. Another scene involves James Bond using his hydraulic boat steering system to steer the boat on pavement through a fish market and a restaurant.

The Q boat also does many other cool things like flip 360 degrees in the air, and maintain a perfect landing on the water, all while chasing the woman who is in a boat 10 times the size of the Q boat.

q boat hydraulic steering system

One of the many futuristic features of the boat is that the console on the instrument panels has several hundred buttons for James to press a specific button to shoot grease, fire bullets, smoke, flames, and many other special features that you would never see in an ordinary boat.

The boat hydraulic steering system also allows James Bond to steer identically whether going at a high rate or low rate of speed, whether under water, or on pavement or in the air. This would be impossible in a regular boat, only the Q boat gives him the ability to do these things. But part of the fun of the James Bond movies is trying to anticipate what will happen next and not knowing exactly what will happen as James goes down the Thames River.

Using A Boat Hydraulic Steering System On The Q Boat

One of the basic premises of the Q boat, is that due to its small size, it is able to maneuver through tight spots. Using a hydraulic steering system, this is capable in most boats. Ease of use and performance are the benefits of using a boat hydraulic steering system. Building a boat out of bulletproof metal is possible, but the flotation properties, balance and weight of the boat would change as well. However, in the James Bond movie chase scenes, anything is possible. This is part of the entertainment and enjoyment of watching the scenes. James is able to steer the boat using his hydraulic steering system to avoid hazards and even death. In many of the movies, whether in a ski chase, car chase, or boat chase, the object is the same. James Bond tries to either catch the bad guys, or get away from the bad guys. Movie goers also know that James Bond never dies.

According to Sam Singh, a researcher from MarinFish.org who we spoke to, the hydraulic boat steering system allows one to unleash the true power and precision of your boat.

Whether boating on the Thames River in England, or in a lake or on the ocean, in your boat you must have a functional hydraulic steering system to navigate in the area that you are either fishing or pleasure boating. That is, if you wish to do the stunts and secret maneuvers of James Bond.

LED Headlights Shine On Best Movie Corvette Of All Time

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 02:17 pm

No doubt, American automobiles have played huge roles in some of the biggest TV shows and movies of all time. KITT from Knight Rider, the Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit, to all of the American made cars featured in the Transformers movies, and the numerous renditions of the Batmobile, just to name a few. However, Corvettes in particular have a tendency to stand out among all other movie cars. This week, we shine our spotlight, or should we say our OPT7 LED headlights, on the best movie Corvette of all time.

There are plenty of movies with Corvettes in them, and we feel obligated to at least mention them here. Once such Corvette is the American flag themed car in The Spy Who Shagged Me, driven by Austin Powers himself. Corvettes also starred in Terms of Endearment, XXX, Fast Five, Animal House, and Boogie Nights.

However, for us, the best movie car of all time was in the film Con Air. The car was involved in some rather outrageous scenes that no car, in reality, could survive. From multiple high speed chases to being dropped out of and dragged behind an airplane. The movie took this car on one wild ride, for sure.

From the action-packed movie Con Air, by Jerry Bruckheimer, starring Nicholas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich and many others, the Corvette used was a 1967 Sting Ray Corvette. Cage’s character, a brazen DEA agent, goes in search of the car known as AZZ KIKR. According to the Internet Movie Car Database, the Corvette Stingray used in Con Air was indeed a 1967 model year.

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We spoke with Corvette enthusiast Willie Smithfield from Red-Corvettes.com, and we asked him what makes this movie Corvette the best of all time. Willie told us, “That car is just such a classic. Americans love muscle cars, in particular Corvettes. Not only that, they love classic convertibles. The car in Con Air represents all of that. For many people, it’s nostalgic. Whether you are young or old, the car just oozes coolness.” We have to agree with Willie.

Check out this great scene when the we get our first glimpse of the beautiful 1967 Corvette in Con Air.

As you can see, the Corvette makes a grand entrance into the movie. The car remains the main focus throughout the film. The 1967 Corvette used in Con Air became an instant icon. Everybody wanted to have one after they saw the movie. In fact, similar cars sold at auction for well over $100,000.  To this day, the popularity of the AZZ KIKR car remains. You can even find AZZ KIKR license plates available for sale on the Internet.

As you can see, American muscle cars have played an important role in cinema. We don’t see this trend changing anytime soon. It seems that Hollywood directors are proud to feature American made automobiles in their movies. We suppose it doesn’t hurt that American manufacturers are willing to pony up some sponsorship money to help keep the trend going. Regardless, we’re glad to see the tradition carry on.

The Lure Of Fly Fishing Movies

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 02:17 pm

Fishing is without a doubt one of the top past times all over the world. Fly fishing, be it for trout, salmon, pike, musky, or some other native fish, is one of the most artistic forms of fishing. Be able to cast a fly rod and bring your fly lure or musky lures to life is more art than science.

Filmmakers Lure In Anglers

Each year, there are at least two film festivals that we know of that put the spotlight on this legendary hobby. The Fly Fishing Film Tour and the International Fly Fishing Film Festival. Both fests are based in Canada, which is world famous for being a fishing hot spot. According to Roger Hurtz at FishingCanadaBlog.com, it makes perfect sense. Roger told us, “Canada is a fly fisherman’s dream land. The amount of lakes Canada has, combined with it’s vast selection of fish species, it’s a prime spot for anglers from all around the world. It should be no surprise that the film festivals are also based here in Canada”

Filmmakers at both festivals hope to lure in those anglers with some great movies.

About Fly Fishing Film Tour

musky luresFly Fishing Film Tour is a very unique film fest experience. Every year anglers of all ages get together at movie premieres to view fishing films from around the globe, share stories amongst old and new friends and dream about catches still to be made.

Since its first running back in 2010 The Fly Fishing Film Tour CANADA has increased by more than 30% every year. In order for the festival to meet with demand they have added new locations and towns to this years schedule and increased their capacity in the locations that have been hosting and supporting them for years.

Not only does the F3T Canada showcase first-class fly fishing films, they also are dedicated to supporting and honoring the local fly fishing shops, musky lure vendors, and fishing conservation groups that are the lifeblood of the sport’s environmental and educational efforts.

Reduced price F3T tickets are for sale at many of the fly fishing and lure shops across the country. Even more, some proceeds of those ticket sales will go straight to support fly fishing and musky habitat-related conservation services and groups. According to the F3T, they raised over $50,000 last year for their conservation partners.

About International Fly Fishing Film Festival

muskie lureInternational Fly Fishing Film Festival hosts both short and feature length movies produced and directed by professional filmmakers from all around the world, who showcase the lifestyle, culture, and passion of fly fishing. The movies at this increasingly popular film festival are capturing the hearts and attention of fishing anglers all over the globe. IF4, as it’s known, features exclusive films and is a must do and see experience for fishermen of all generations.

We encourage you to check out their sites for showtimes and listings and locations. There’s something for everyone at these two events. Who knows, you might even pick out that perfect lure from one of the vendors outside the event which will land you your next trophy the next time you are out on the water.

LED Headlights Are Changing The Look And Feel Of Movies

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 02:17 pm

The unique decision made by the city of Los Angeles in 2013 to go away from it’s (HPS) high-pressure sodium streetlights, which are popular due to their distinctive yellow glow, with next generation, blue-tinted LEDs may very well have a huge impact on the local movie industry. With both car LED headlights & LED light bars and now those LED streetlights, with their futuristic color scheme, may potentially significantly change how LA appears on film, and give LA a fresh new look in today’s digital filmmaking. As Todd Dickerson writes for Pro Movie Studio, “Hollywood movies and Los Angeles will never look the same again.”

LEDs Go Hollywood

In terms of the Environment, this is a very good thing. Although, many may feel a bit nostalgic when putting this retrofit to LEDs into perspective. Essentially, every nighttime exterior Los Angeles filmed movie prior to this changeover  is rendered kind of an anthropological artifact, if you will, a historical picture of obsolete urban lighting infrastructure.LED light bar

LED Light Bars And LED Streetlights Economical Impact

Roger Schmidt has written a bunch for Director’s Monthly magazine about LED streetlights and their benefits to cities large and little, including this bit in March: “On July 10th, Mayor Alonso Gomez announced the finalization of the first phase of the LED lighting project, with LED street fixtures installed on 139,0184 street lamps.” He continued with:

The City of LA figures it will save nearly $7 million in power savings and $3.5 million in unnecessary maintenance costs per year with the change to LED street lamps. Street lighting often equates up to 45% of Los Angeles’s annual electric bill, according to Jim Glovers, writing at NP Outdoor Expo. The LED lights utilized in Los Angeles, among which are Cree’s XSP series use roughly 59% less electricity, have far longer lifespans than the old (HPS) high-pressure sodium fixtures whey they have replaced. These LEDs feature the same technology many motorists and outdoor enthusiasts use in their cars, or found in the LED light bars on their ATVs.

The economic and ecological impacts are quite significant. According to Roger Schmidt, a residential LED light fixture which was going for $389 each in 2008, was going for $239 at the end of 2013. Additionally, its output increased from 43 to 82 lumens per watt and a lifespan improvement from 81,000 to 151,000 hours. That is roughly 17 years of added life if the lights were turned on constantly.

LED Headlights On Film

How much LED headlights affect the image of vehicles on film? It’s hard to say, really, since today there is still a mix of both LED headlights and halogen headlights on the road. It may be several years before we see the full impact of LED headlights in movies. However, we feel that in the long run, LED headlights will be better for cinematography. Whether or not the new look of LEDs is visually appealing is obviously a subjective matter, but most people tend to favor the new technology.

Stay tuned to the big screen to see the latest action flick, which may very well feature your favorite Hollywood star cruising down the beach in his ATV, LED light bar at high beam, blasting aliens out of the water.

Dental Implants And Prosthetic Dental Effects In Movies

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 02:17 pm

If you have been to the movies at least a couple of times during the last 25 years, then chances are good that you have seen the work of Bruce Adams, a specialist of dental implants and prosthetic dental effects in movies. Although, you won’t find Bruce on a sound stage, because he creates his wonderful Hollywood magic in an off-the-set dental laboratory. Hollywood is a second home to Adams, as he still maintains his primary practice back in Indianapolis. Adams is what is known as a dental technician who is famous for inventing many of the worst teeth and smiles we have ever seen on the silver screen — including Mrs. Doubtfire’s memorable dentures and Austin Powers’ wicked grin. Recently, NBFF had the chance to speak with this master of dental implants and prosthetic dental effects in movies about some of his rather unique smile transformations! Below are a few of the highlights from that interview.
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In your work as a dental technician servicing the movie industry, no doubt you have had quite a few very odd assignments. Let us first talk about what it is that a dental technician typically does. Would you please explain that for our audience?

Well, I fabricate all of the dental implants, bridges, orthodontic appliances, crowns, and dentures which are prescribed by a regular dentist. Basically, I am sort of like a pharmacist for the dental field, as I fill prescriptions.

Would you say that custom dental work, is more or less a team effort between a dental technician and a cosmetic dentist?

Absolutely. When it comes to custom dental work, there aren’t any “off-the-shelf” products. The process starts by the dentist providing me with the impressions (or molds) and a prescription, directing me as to what they want created for the dental patient, whether it’s an orthodontic appliance, an implant bridge, or a denture, and I am the person that gets to fabricate the smile. So yes, we work very closely together. I do the technical work, while the dentist does the clinical aspect of the work, and this teamwork provides the patient with a beautiful smile.

OK, let’s move on to your special-effects work in movies. How did the work in movies come about for you?

It started for me when I was contacted by a special effects and makeup artist and they asked me if I could make a pair of dentures that would fall out of a person’s mouth and land in a glass of water. That first job was for the movie Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and the late Robin Williams.

Do you use the same materials for actors as those used for real patients?

No. You see, for special-effects and movies, we use acrylics. Generally, for real patients, we would use porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, porcelain veneers, or possibly even the new milled zirconias. We are able to create acrylic veneers which look incredibly real. In fact,  remember Jonah Hill’s teeth in The Wolf of Wall Street? Well, he had these remarkably brilliant, white teeth; those were almost certainly made with acrylics.

Which do you enjoy more: beautiful smiles or scary ones?

Well, it’s hard to say I prefer one over the other. However, creating scary or ugly smiles goes against everything that we dental technicians are taught. Here we have Hollywood A-listers that have super nice smiles and we are tasked with making them look terrible. We have made some incredibly horrific smiles, some insanely ghoulish-looking teeth! I have created gaps, a “meth mouth”, and even teeth that have flown out of the actor’s mouth.

Are you the one who fits the actor for their prosthetic teeth, or does the actor first go to their regular dentist to get molds made of their mouth?

Usually, the actor will come to us first. At that point, I am more of a makeup artist specializing in teeth, versus a traditional dental technician. After taking all of the actor’s impressions, I will get together with the directors, producers, makeup artists, and anybody else involved in the process, and together we will design what they want for the film. The most difficult part of the process is often getting what is in their heads onto paper from which I can then create the idea that I feel that they want. Often times I will make three or four different mouth pieces from which they can choose from.

What was one of the most memorable film projects that you have been involved with?

Oh wow! Easy. I had to create a real looking dental abscess. Did you see Cast Away with Tom Hanks? When the character was stranded on the island and he had a terrible toothache, the directors wanted to depict an abscess right above the gum line with all kinds of pus and gunk coming out of it. We met with Mr. Hanks and I took the molds on him and I developed this great little piece. That piece was only in the movie for a few seconds but nearly everyone remembers Tom using that ice skate in order to knock his rotten tooth out with it due to it giving him so much pain.

Which movie transformation did you enjoy the most?

I would have to say that my favorite of all-time was working with Mike Myers while working on the Austin Powers films. When Mike came and met with me and his makeup artist, we all decided that we were going for the stereototypical 1970s nasty British teeth. Luck would have it, the first set of nasty fake teeth which we made ended up being the smile which now everyone equates with Austin Powers. Mr. Myers made those teeth famous, that’s for sure.

What do the actors typically think of having to wear dental implants or prosthetic teeth?

It usually takes them about an hour or so to get used to it, but after that they become quite comfortable with fake dental implants or prosthetic teeth. We once had an actor continuously wear them to lunch. One time, he forgot to take them out and wore them home that night. He ended up biting into an apple and breaking them.

Explain to us what “breakaway” teeth are.

In a movie, when somebody gets punched in the face, you will sometimes see them spit out a tooth. That’s a little piece that I make and it’s referred to as a breakaway veneer. How it works is that we make a full set of acrylic veneers and the single tooth which is going to be punched out is stuck in there with a type of wax. After getting “punched” in the mouth, the actor will hit it with their real tooth, and they will also have a fake blood pack behind their lip. Once the actor pops the fake blood pack, they fling the fake tooth out into the air and now you have got a great fight scene.

When back home in Indianapolis, do you still work on regular dentistry projects?

For sure. I don’t think I could ever give up my career in the traditional dental lab industry. I love seeing my patients in Indianapolis with beautiful, happy smiles. That, to me, is even more satisfying that seeing my work on the big screen. Besides, I work with a fantastic team of oral surgeons and I love being the best cosmetic dentist Indianapolis at my practice.

Fishing Movie Flashback

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 02:17 pm

This week in our flashback movie series, we take a look at a classic fishing movie from 1992 titled, “A River Runs Through It.” This is a movie about two brothers who love to fly fish, before the times of fancy muskie rod and reel combos, in beautiful Montana.

Fishing Movie Flashback: A River Runs Through It

In A Riverportable fish finder and depth finder Runs Through It, Fly-fishing basically is life for the main characters. One of them is the captain for a charter called BoomerangSportFishing.com. If one can learn to fly fish properly, to read the water and yourself and the fish, and if you do whatever needs to be without a single wasted motion, then you will most certainly have gained at least some of the economy and grace that is required to live a good life. If one can do it and also learn that the water, the fish you catch and the entire world are God’s greatest gifts to use wisely, then one will have achieved great insight.

This movie is based upon a memory of a childhood out western and it was first detailed in a book which was published over 21 years ago by author Norman Maclean, who had retired as a teacher of English at the University of Chicago. His father inspired him to some day write the story. When the book was first published it received a little fanfare from the university press, thus helping it to immediately find an audience. After many printings, it is a favorite and sacred book in the homes and libraries of many people.

Robert Redford’s movie version of the book makes the critical decision to use Maclean’s own voice in the movie; reading his own prose as a narration, by Robert Redford, which means that the audience does not simply view events as they are happening, the audience is reminded that the events on screen are in fact memories from times long ago, and also that the writer has spent some trouble and time to recreate the lessons from them.

The film’s main character, Norman, who is the older son, is played by Craig Sheffer. Norman is the more serious of the two brothers, and is learning to transcribe by showing his papers to his father in his study, only to be told, “Good. Now make it half as long.” The younger brother, Paul, played by Brad Pitt, is a golden-haired and free spirit child who tends to drink too much and plays in wild card games, and he also wants to simply stay in Montana for his entire life, while working for the local newspaper. Norman, on the other hand, has grander aspirations; he wishes to go on teach literature. However, it turns out that Paul is usually the superior fly fisherman, and at least some day, can be perfect at what he does.

The film was shot at locations which depict the beautiful bounty of the Western United States in those times. The cities and towns border on the edge of the modern and the old frontier. As we watch the brothers grow up, they befriend young women, and go on dates, and ponder their futures. Robert Redford expands on the novel in ways that lay out the characters of the mother and Paul, and other various folks in their lives, which includes a young Native woman which Paul dates in against the town’s opinion, and the exciting Jessie, portrayed by Emily Lloyd, who goes on to eventually become big brother Norman’s wife.

Many feel that this must have been a rather challenging film to write. The movie is more about the underlying principles, more so than the actual events that we see take place on screen. If you were to leave out those principles, all we would have remaining are a few interesting folks who are born, grow to adulthood, and then simply take several different directions in life.

Robert Redford and Richard Friedenberg, the writer, understood that almost all of the events in our lives are arbitrary or accidental, in particular the critical ones, and therefore we seldom can exert only a tiny amount of conscious control over our own destinies. Rather, the two understand that Maclean’s life lessons were more to do with how to act and behave regardless of what life brings, and about how to walk in the unpredictable river stream of life and deal with everything that happens with honesty, grace and courage. The movie’s greatest accomplishment is that it communicates these messages with such emotion.