The Earthling

source: The Earthling

I only learned that Briton Peter Collinson, the director of The Earthling, tragically died of lung cancer in the same year The Earthling was released. Peter was famous as the director of the 1969 movie The Italian Job, and here he gives the Aussie touch to a movie with two famous Americans, William Holden and Rick "NYPD Blue" Schroder in the lead. The two Aussie actors, Jack "Petersen" Thompson and Olivia Hamnett (actually British, but migrated to Australia in 1971) tragically get short shrift in the famous campervan scene which goes off the cliff. Credit to the special effects team for this scene which I still remember to this day. I can only imagine the couple's final words and thoughts as they headed down the cliff in the campervan. It reminds me of the scene from a Knight Rider episode where Michael Knight's evil twin and his beau go off a cliff in their car, and also Thelma and Louise.

A dying man finds love and compassion in his final days as he treks to his birth place accompanied by a spoiled whining child orphaned in a freak accident in the outback. The cinematogrpahy was 1st rate, the plot understated. While vacationing in the Australian Outback with his parents, American youngster Shawn Daley suffers from the loss of his parents in a freak accident, finding himself orphaned and marooned in the Australian outback. Shawn eludes a variety of insect and reptilian life before he meets Patrick Foley, a grumpy adventurer who is headed back to his parent's resting place deep in the woods. Foley grudgingly lets the boy follow along and teaches him how to live off the land. When Foley's condition worsens, Shawn discovers he has to leave Foley behind and start his journey back to civilization with his newfound skills that'll allow him to survive the return trek alone. Filmed between September and October 1979 on location in Blue Mountains and Barrington Forest, New South Wales, Australia.

The Earthling is the last film of director Peter Collinson and he was actually in the last stages of terminal cancer during the production of this film. It is also the penultimate film of the great William Holden, and he's quite enjoyable to watch as a hugely insensitive, selfish and hard-to-please old man. In a story that mirrors the real-life illness of Collinson, an old American returns to his boyhood home in the Australian outback. He has been diagnosed with cancer and has decided to see out his final days in his favourite place. However, the trek to his old family home is a long and arduous one, deep into the outback. En route, he happens upon a young boy whose family have been killed in a horrific camper van accident. Initially annoyed to be lumbered with the boy (Schroeder), the old man eventually teaches him the art of survival in the wilderness and actually grows to love him. This strange outdoor adventure film feels like it was originally conceived as a family production. However, somewhere along the line it became tougher than that. Perhaps Collinson had directed too many violent thrillers (The Sellout, Open Season, The Penthouse) to judge the tone needed for a family film. Perhaps his imminent death had made him cynical and bitter. Either way, the cruel attitude evident in Collinson's direction - via Holden's character - lends the film a highly unusual element of grittiness. Some critics feel that the film suffers as a result, but I disagree. The film suffers from an over-reliance on wldlife shots and occasional dull stretches, but not because of the tough edge of its main character. The Earthling isn't great, but it's certainly interesting enough to be worth a viewing or two.

An excellent film displaying acting talents not previously apparent for Mr. Holden. Empathy but not sympathy for a boy whose parents are taken from him, as were those of Mr. Holden's character. Superb acting ability shown by young Ricky Schroeder beyond his years. A moving story of impending death and of passing the torch of survival to the boy. Beautiful scenery of the wild country of Australia and one of the most moving songs by Maureen McGovern. The supporting cast is very limited but tremendously important to the story. The character of Christian is the conscience of Mr. Holden's character and through his personality and past history, causes Foley to discard his morphine and to take his final journey home in pain. Foley's respect for the native culture is displayed by his refusal to kill an animal for meat without asking permission of the local gods. The toughening up process he forces on the boy is beautifully shown. We get to watch the whining little boy who doesn't want to be splashed with cold water change into the tough survivor who makes Foley catch his own fish at the point of a knife. I have seen this film several times and would heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys drama, human interaction, nature at her best and the soaring voice of Maureen McGovern also at her best. I would love to have it on DVD should it ever become available in that format.

The story of the making of The Earthling might in itself prove to be as interesting a film as The Earthling itself. The film tries, but doesn't quite make it to the top rung of films that William Holden did. As it sadly turned out The Earthling was the next to last film that Holden completed before he died the following year. Only in the movies could we have the strange tale about one of the two protagonists dying of cancer, directed by someone who was himself dying of the same. Peter Collinson was terminally ill and knew it when he was directing The Earthling. I'm sure his cast didn't know it though. His own plight might have been what attracted Collinson to the project. According to the Citadel Film series book, The Films Of William Holden, Collinson was especially hard on young Rick Schroder during the making of The Earthling. So much so that Holden had to intervene and the two bonded. Which may have helped the film because three quarters of it is only dealing with Holden and Schroder on screen. The two really play well together. Holden has returned to Australia to die where he grew up in a very rugged part of the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Heading in the same general direction are Jack Thompson and Olivia Hamnett with their child Rick Schroder on a camping holiday. But when their camper goes off a cliff killing the parents and Schroder is left alone in the wilderness, he's lucky to find Holden. But Bill proves to be a stern taskmaster. He can't tell him that it would be worse to go back, that it's farther than his old homestead. He has to teach Schroder and hope he learns well, the tools needed for survival in the wild. The bulk of the film is concerned with just that. Collinson died and some scenes were shot afterward, the ending you see is not what Collinson had in mind. But who knows what he did have in mind as the disease ruled him as surely as it ruled Holden's character. The viewers will have to judge for themselves. Rick Schroder never forgot William Holden and when he married, he named his first child Holden Schroder in honor of the movie legend who was also battling some demons of his own, but took time to help and befriend a young child player. I think if Rick Schroder reads this review he'd like me to honor William Holden as well. And so this review is dedicated to William Holden one of the cinema's brightest stars.

This is a lost classic and a great family movie and I hope hope hope that it is released onto DVD soon. (Studios, are you listening?) I was 9 or 10 when I saw it and would love to share it with the young kids in my family today. The performances are beautiful (Ricky Schroeder is so underrated, even today)and William Holden does a heartbreaking, amazing job. If you thought Ricky was exceptional in The Champ, he tops that performance with The Earthling. It's kind of amazing Schroeder wasn't further typecast into a River Phoenix or early Leonardo DiCaprio kind of actor because he is so tapped into his emotions and his acting is so fresh and vital that he easily steals scenes from the amazing, adult actors he has been cast with. Looking at his childhood performances coupled with NYPD Blue and Lonesome Dove--he should be grouped with the young indie actors of current films. I don't like some of the movies Rick is doing today but even in those films he delivers such alive, powerful performances. I think he's just great.

I saw this movie from time to time as a kid on Sunday afternoons. It's a wonderful film with a heart-breaking ending. Fate brings a rough, way-faring loner and a young child lost in the wild outback together and the result is one hell of a story that is sure to touch the viewers emotions. William Holden's character is aged and wants to trek to his father's remote cabin to live out his final days. Along the way he stumbles into Schroeder's character who's parents recently had an accident on their family vacation there in Australia, leaving the child abandoned and unable to survive. Soured by civilization, Holden is reluctant to aid the boy, who's determination to connect with the older man eventually gets through to Holden's compassionate heart of gold.

I like The Earthling. This was the first film Ricky Schroder made after The Last Flight Of Noah's Ark (now there is a real classic). He does a wonderful job appearing with one of Hollywood's legends. I read a biography of Bill Holden's and it said that he and Ricky had a ball working together and it surely shows in this fine film. The chemistry between them is sensational. This man teaches the boy how to survive and he teaches the man how to love. Yes it is dark and depressing, but I feel that makes it a better movie because it is not typical Hollywood schmaltz. Peter Collinson, the director of the film was dying of cancer as it was being made and less then a year after the film was released, William Holden died in a drunken fall in his home. He fell and gashed his head on a nightstand and bled to death his body not being found for several days. Holden is truly one of Hollywood's most tragic fatalities. This man was loved by all who knew him, but he just didn't love himself. I don't think the Earthling has ever been shown on Tv and I think that is a real shame. It is not a happy film to watch yes, but it is an example of fine filmaking. A sort of film noir if you will. A possible spoiler here, Holden's character dies and I always wondered if Ricky made it back to civilization in the end.

I don't like movies whose "point" does not also translate into an entertaining film. I don't mean that it has to have a happy ending necessarily, but I should say "that was a good movie, and it really made me think." Not this one. The only reasons I'd give to watch this movie are if you want to see views of Australia, if you really like either of these actors, if you have absolutely nothing better to do, or if you like movies with a message that bludgeons you over the head. I'm honestly surprised at all the praise for this film. It seems as if someone wanted to pay homage to beautiful scenes in Australia, but didn't spend a lot of thought or time on a story to stick in it. And they made a film in Australia, featuring two American actors? Anyway, I find it odd that man supposedly has so little time left that he won't take a starving boy two-days journey back to where he can get help, and yet they hike for days and days more, with hardly any rest or trouble? The child can't remember words or even his name, then suddenly he can speak normally, then he can't? Why didn't the old guy just come out and say, I'm dying kid, you've gotta learn a few things so you can survive when I'm not here? He was so awful, he almost let the kid be torn up by wild dogs. I understand the point that we're all in this alone and we have to fight and learn to survive and be responsible for ourselves. But I don't go for the mentality of "I suffered as a child, and so you should suffer, too." And the dialogue - one minute the old guy doesn't want to say anything, the next he's telling a big, long adult story about his life and it's obvious that this is for OUR benefit to let us in on his backstory, not something natural to the scene. The native animals are so obviously placed in the scenes, hopping by idyllically at the hot spring, or perching scenically on bushes in front of the camera. At times the cinematography seems very set up and forced. Was this movie just some kind of rehash of lost child stories in Australia (but with an American twist), like the real-life 1960 story of Stephen Walls and the 1978 movie, Little Boy Lost? I am also left wondering - the aborigines must have been aware of this boy wandering around lost - I feel that they would have helped him in some way. They turn up later in the film, briefly, but only as a scare for the child and a vehicle for Holden to espouse some ritual. In the end, I cannot recommend this movie unless you feel like you need to experience it for yourself. It is painful to watch (I'm not simply referring to the subject matter) and several parts just don't make sense.