A Far Off Place

An updated but old-fashioned eco-adventure (from Laurens van der Post's A Story Like the Wind and A Far Off Place), with the accent on the adventure. Teens Witherspoon and Randall don't get on at the start but end up in love. The elements include ruthless poachers; a craggy game warden (Schell), irate at the villains for slaughtering not only elephants but the teens' parents; a wise African guide (Bok); and a trek across the Kalahari. A cameraman's directorial debut; handsome and quite sincere.