The Donner Party

source: The Donner Party

This tragic story had so much potential for a really good and interesting movie but did not deliver. There was no depth to any of the characters you really didn't care if they lived or died. Crispin Glover was miscast as William Foster, I was expecting Marty Mcfly to rescue his dad in the Delorian , his acting was so wooden it was fine for comedy but not a serious role. The story-line was weak, I would have like a more accurate story this movie just skimmed over the top of what happened to these people, better acting and bigger budget it could have been a first rate movie but unfortunately it was more like a made for TV film, these emigrants became trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during one of the most brutal winters on record yet the film made it look like they were out on a family hiking trip the weather was so mild not a snow flake in sight. I hope they do eventually make a more honest and realistic movie we don't have to focus on the cannibalistic side and make it a gore-fest, but more on the family unit, the story of survival and the aftermath of the survivors

This story has fascinated historians for years. It would seem like a movie makers dream. It has it all intrigue, adventure, jealousy, etc, so where did they go wrong. Sure seems like accuracy is a big issue. The one thing I can say is I am glad they didn't Disneyfy it. Disney attempted to do the story as well focusing on the families that did not engage in cannibalism. It was pathetic, but enough about that bad movie. This version was disappointing as well. When the movie began it seemed as though it started a half hour before. The 2 main characters were well into a strained relationship, no explanation. You have no idea how long they have been traveling, how long without food, what happened to the entire party (there were 89 immigrants), and so many other unanswered questions. At the end I felt as if I left the movie before it ended. The movie moved pretty slow and then it was over, the end. This just wasn't good story telling.

I enjoyed the film, but had to think of it as a FICTIONAL Donner party. Assuming most of the accepted chronicles of the doomed Donner party are true, I feel a better screenplay could have been written regarding the Forlorn Hope. What they endured was worse than what was depicted in the film - again assuming survivor accounts are true. I would have preferred more of an epic-style narrative film - starting near Emmigrant Canyon in Utah - that would have allowed more time for character development and consequent erosion to their base instincts to survive. I could barely get my head around a character before they were insane or dead. I felt the film was edited in such a manner to make following the story difficult to follow. I had so many questions after watching it the first time that I had to watch it again to more carefully follow the story. That being said, I do feel it was a superb endeavor about one aspect of the most interesting stories of the pioneers. Someday, I would like to see the accurate story adapted to an epic film that would do justice to the enormity of this grand American story.

If you are some Fangoria-reading horror flick freak, no doubt you will rate this movie "1" or "2" on IMDb. Which is your own fault, because doing your homework in advance would have shown you this is NOT some brainless zombie smorgasbord offering such as DAWN OF THE DEAD, where the featured creatures literally rip out yards of intestines while gnawing on one bloody end (since apparently they have no sense of smell). Instead, DONNER PARTY is presented more like a docudrama, with beautifully believable scenery and realistic sound effects (in fact, for insomniacs, this film might be as effectively sleep-inducing as those DVD's of logs burning in a fireplace). Its authenticity undoubtedly is enhanced by the movie being filmed in the actual Donner Pass near Truckee, CA, where these gruesome events took place during the winter of 1846-47. That's right, DONNER PARTY is based on reality, unlike Hannibal Lecter forking out Ray Liotta's living brain at a nicely-set dinner table. Just as MOBY DICK incorporates a documented case of cannibalism (and sacrificing the sailor who draws the short straw for the sustenance of his shipmates), DONNER PARTY also reflects the willingness of most Americans to throw whoever they have to (e.g., Wisconsin school teachers) under the wheels of the bus to enhance their own survival. To sum up, if you want the latest riff on THE TEXA$ CHAINSAW MASSACRE, do NOT rent DONNER PARTY. If, on the other hand, you wish to better understand the thinking of a Republican governor such as New Jersey's Chris Christie, there might not be a better model in film history than DONNER PARTY's leading proponent of expediency, expedition leader William Foster, played with just the right mixture of smug self-serving righteousness and smarmy disingenuous reptilian trickery by actor Crispin Glover.

This is based on the true story of pioneers, who leave on a trip to the land of orange groves, milk and honey...the Promised Land. The party makes a split with a promise of a shorter trek through the Sierra Nevada Mountains leading to California. Following several snow storms they find themselves trapped, freezing with a dwindling supply of food. The group splits again as a small contingent try to forge ahead to California and form a rescue party. Even that is doomed. The fateful group of pioneer's camaraderie turns to cannibalism in the name of survival. The movie is pretty gloomy as expected to be. Harsh and harrowing, depressing at the very least; but THE DONNOR PARTY is worth watching. Some impressive acting in the form of Clayne Crawford and Crispin Glover. Also in support are: Mark Boone Junior, Christian Kane, Michelle Santopietro, Jamie Anne Allman and Catherine Black.

The filming (colors..septia?), background music and sparse, terse script do a great job of setting up spooky suspense. Within minutes the viewer is drawn into this desperate setting! The characters are not overdrawn with background but are set up very well. Indeed, the movie doesn't try to explain the plight, story, etc., of the infamous Donner party but instead is a largely fictionalized account of its infamous group which set out to seek help, long referred to as "The Forlorn Hope". Given the above correction (changing the point of view) the film then takes some missteps, primarily in its depiction of the ultimate vice practiced by the "The Forlorn Hope", which was much too compromised here. Also, the major conflict between the two male leads becomes too black and white; e.g., Glover's character becomes too much of a bogeyman and the protagonist too virtuous. In contrast, TFH's women are under drawn in the second half of the flick. With some work this film could have been a great thriller.

I live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. As such, I am very familiar with the Donner Party and looked forward to viewing this movie. However, I was very disappointed. It is full of inaccuracies. While it is true some of the party resorted to eating human flesh to survive, no one was killed to do so. It left out the struggles of those left behind, waiting to be rescued and what they endured. I noted Foster's beard was neatly trimmed throughout the film, amazing to me, as they barely were able to stay alive, much less have access to a barber, nor would they have looked as healthy after days of near starvation. The acting, too, left much to be desired. For me, this movie was a major flop.

Crispin Glover leads the ill fated Donner Party in this entertaining fictional, though based on fact, movie. The audience is immediately aware of the party's desperate situation, stranded and starving in the snow covered Sierra Nevada Mountains. The film, though relentlessly downbeat, does try to realistically portray how individuals might have reacted to the extreme conditions they were subjected to. Cannibalism is portrayed in a dignified manner, not sensationalized, and there is actually very little blood. The haunting soundtrack seems very appropriate, and the Donner Pass locations beautifully, though bleakly, photographed. Recommended, and especially recommended if you want to see Crispin Glover in a restrained and believable performance. - MERK

A few years ago Ken Burns made a superb documentary film about the Donner experience attempting to get to California. They were part of a rather large group traveling west but at a critical juncture they chose to attempt a more southerly route, one a promoter promised would be a faster route. As it turned out the promoter had never traveled the route and it in fact turned out to be a longer, more difficult route. Add to that an early and severe winter in the Sierra Nevada mountains and the Donner party and several other parties traveling with them were stranded, without enough food to survive the winter, even after their livestock were killed off and eaten. In preparation for this fictional movie, I viewed that earlier Ken Burns film, which is an excellent historical account, which included still photos and some writings of the original parties. This movie does not cover any of the early parts of the journey, nor does it cover any parts of the aftermath of the rescue of the survivors. It focuses on the brutal winter and how the men and women resorted to cannibalism to survive. In line with the bleak subject, and the winter surroundings, the film is color but printed with a very low color saturation, which makes it look like a black and white film with a bit of color. That part works well. However most of the movie is very slow and difficult to endure, and part of that is because of the uninteresting dialog. We get the point that it was difficult for the survivors to force themselves to eat human flesh, and particularly humans they knew. So why did the audience need to watch that on several different occasions? While the movie has some interesting elements, I found it to be mostly a waste of time. For anyone wanting to know more about the Donner tragedy, the Ken Burns films does that many times better than this movie does. Plus, in this movie we never see any of the Donners, only a short reference to them, encamped a short distance away. I like Crispin Glover, especially for his early role in "Back to the Future", but here as William Foster I found him mostly annoying. However overall all the actors did well, but the script and direction were not particularly interesting. It was a chore watching the whole 85 minutes.