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Category:    Home > Reviews > Family > Jock - A True Tale of Friendship (Family)

Jock – A True Tale of Friendship

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Film: C+

 

 

Set in 1880s Africa, Jock – A True Tale of Friendship (1995) is the story of Percy Fitzpatrick (Sean Gallagher, playing the author of the book Jock of the Bushveld this is based on) becoming much attached to the dog of the title, while visiting the continent.  This includes the dog’s tendency to get into trouble with every form of wildlife around, and have a few human enemies.  Though not a brilliant work, Jock does manage to achieve a certain sense of inner-peace most entertainments have lacked severely in recent years; a quality that goes beyond its “kids safe” realm.

 

They continue to drift along until they meet an American (Robert Urich) who helps them get their act together and Percy can continue to look for the gold he came for in the first place.  That it is based on a book partly based in real life is one of the reasons this holds together as well as it does.  Director Duncan MacNeillie does not do a bad job of keeping a visual and verbal consistency to the narrative and the performances of the actors.  This is still aimed for kids and families, but runs an always watchable 102 minutes.  Those looking for a good family title they may have not shared with their kids yet should consider this one.  This was a theatrical feature release that did not get much distribution, so now is your chance to share something nice with younger kids.

 

The full frame, color image is not bad, with good color and detail from the Fuji stocks the film was produced in, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is simple, without surrounds.  That is odd since the film’s credits say it is a Dolby Digital film.   There are no extras or captions, but you do get trailers for three other Questar titles, including the also-good kids program Keeping the Promise.  Too bad the text of the book was not available in a supplement section, or on a DVD-ROM.  Even a section on animals and Africa would have been nice, but it is a solid basic kids DVD just the same.

 

Finally, there is Robert Urich, one of the great journeyman actors of TV who left us too soon due to cancer.  When the series Vegas was over, everyone wondered what would happen next.  Then, after many successful telefilms and guest appearances on other shows, Spencer for Hire was a hit.  Urich was a big star like John Ritter for a reason.  They both had a sense of joy in everything they did and their loss makes the picture tube somehow seem a shade dimmer when we remember them.  Jock was one of those moments.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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