Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog

This movie about a lad and his dog surviving in the British Columbian wilderness is better than the formula might suggest. Playing the parents is normally a thankless gig, but Davison and Rogers bring a believability to the frantic pair: their 14-year-old son, Angus (Bradford), hasn't emerged from the tall timbers after three weeks. Parted from his father when their boat sinks in a storm, the boy and the dog survive on fish, grubs, berries and confection, and traverse the Book of Genesis terrain despite attacks by wolves. As usual, Angus is stuck in ravines every time the air-rescue helicopter goes over. As usual, the dog supplies resolution in the darkest hour. Yellow Dog (Dakotah) is a splendidly trained labrador who brings off a brilliant leap into a lineful of washing that had at least one junior audience cheering. Simple, effective stuff.