Courage Mountain

Since Shirley Temple's Heidi of 1937, numerous rehashes have ensued. In this innocuous sequel, set in October 1915, 14-year-old Heidi (Caton) is despatched to school in Italy by her loveable grandfather (Rubes), leaving behind her 'best friend' and prospective lover (Sheen). When the school is commandeered by the Italian army, Heidi and three chums are separated from their guardian (Caron) and fall into the clutches of a fiendish, child-exploiting workhouse owner (Voyagis). Will the girls escape and make it back across the Alps for Christmas? Will Heidi's rustic charm sustain the city-bred cissies through their ordeal? Will Sheen's astonishingly square jaw save the day? Cynical exploitation aside, this is actually an amiable rites-of-passage movie for pre-pubescent audiences.