I saw True Heart a couple of weekends ago, and I must say that it was a good adventure story with great music. However, it's quite heavy-handed in its message of nature conservation. Kirsten Dunst and Zachary Ty Bryan were quite good in this one, as Bonnie and Sam, two siblings who survive a plane crash deep in the woods of BC, Canada. They learn how to survive the hazards of the forest with the help of the native woodsman, Konanesta; in the process, the two learn about the spirits of the woods' creatures, and they also learn about themselves, and their relationships with each other and with their parents. The lead poacher was just plain evil personified, complete with a hook for a hand! We also see the big grizzly bear emerge as the great hero of the movie. (Now, I couldn't get past the grizzly bear being referred to as a "Kodiak"; a Kodiak is a subspecies of grizzly that lives in Alaska.) Which brings me to the portrayal of Konanesta; he acted like the stereotypical Native American one sees in movies in many ways, like being one with "Grandfather Nature"; however, Konanesta looked less like a typical "Indian brave" and more like Sean Connery with a long ponytail. I more than half expected him to talk to Sam and Bonnie in that classic voice saying something like "You are at one with all living things. Each man's thoughts and dreams are yours to know. You have power beyond imagination. Use it well, my friend." But I digress; True Heart was still a good family adventure.

The reason True Heart doesn't get a ten is because it does simplify certain situations, which lower the films believability. However, this does not ruin the film, if you are the type of person that doesn't expect life to always show up as black or white. Also, given that young children are a part of its target audience, it makes sense not to make the stories events too involved. Children are great at using their imaginations to fill in the blanks, or at just accepting something at face value. So don't get stuck on the few moments in the film where moments are oversimplified. Instead, let yourself get lost in the amazing, beautiful scenery, and the mystical and magical undertones that leave you feeling inspired and hopeful about life, and the world. Yes, the Native American is slightly stereotyped, but look past that to his modeling of how to embrace, be respectful, patient, compassionate, passionate, reverent, graceful, courageous, kind and caring. As for the children, perhaps the heart on her sleeve, leaping in, openly passionate girl's character is easier to connect with, but the boy's character, with his closely held emotions, quiet passion, cautious - but still open to the world around him - exploration might be more interesting, if you give him a chance. If nothing else, they are a nice complement to each other... a good reminder of how different, yet similar we are as human beings. Go on, watch this film using your child-mind. View it from a place of curiosity, innocence, and imagination. You won't be sorry.

Spoilers herein.This is an absolutely dreadful film in every way except for the appearance of the remarkable Dunst.She has turned out to be an ordinary adult actress, but as a child she was spellbinding. Here, the role is undemanding, but see the mark of a good actress in that she gives more than the pedestrian director demands.Part of that young talent was in understanding how to create and use the `Lolita mouth,' that reverse smile that can persist through the whole character. It is derived from a pout but turned into a token of engaged personality. We lost something when she grew up.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 4: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Bonnie and Sam are teenagers in a plane flying across a mountainous wilderness (we're never told exactly where, but the mountains are too high to be in the eastern U.S.). The plane goes down and the adults in the plane appear to be dead, so they are left on their own until an old Indian finds them and offers to help them get back to civilization. He says they will need his help because of the bad men. It turns out there are poachers in the area, and the teens would have been in trouble without him. The kids offer to find help, once rescued, to do something about the poachers, but the Indian does not want help (we later learn one reason why this might be true). The Indian teaches the kids a lot about getting along in the wilderness, and rescues them from several dangerous situations (they also get to rescue him once or twice). We also learn that the teens are brother and sister, and that they lost their father. Their mother has remarried, and Bonnie in particular doesn't like their stepfather. Among other things, the Indian teaches the kids that they still have their father inside. Later, the Indian goes back to the plane without the kids, fearing that the people searching for the kids will encounter the poachers.This was pretty good though it may not be a classic. August Schellenberg gave a fine performance as the Indian, though he talked like Tonto and that may offend some people (I assume this reflects a lack of contact with white people, since the Indian seems very intelligent). And I've liked Kirsten Dunst ever since she was a little girl in 'Little Women'; she didn't disappoint here. The scenery is magnificent, and wildlife shots quite good. The credits say nothing about animatronic bears but assure us animal action was carefully monitored so that no actual harm came to the bears. Some good work, then, was done with those bears. And the music was quite distinctive: nearly all of it sounded Native American or close to it, with some really good vocal performances in what sounded like Indian languages (there was even one song with children). Speaking of children, the youngest ones probably shouldn't see this. Among the reasons: the plane crash itself is quite scary, and there are several scenes where the poachers fire shots at people who they believe might be interfering with them (when the Indian is around, he fired back using arrows, but no one appeared seriously injured). The poachers threaten the children with guns when the Indian isn't around, and there are the usual scenes with one or both teens in danger. Also, one of the bears steps into a painful trap, gets taunted by the poachers, and is finally shot. The extent of the injuries to the poachers involved is not quite clear, but the other bear attacks several poachers. This was an edited version I saw, but there were still a few curse words (nothing too major). SPOILER: Also, one of the poachers is apparently killed by a bullet.