This next film has been high up on my list of ‘must see’ films for a long time. I really enjoyed it but it didn’t make me cry (which I half-expected to). To be fair, I had roommates who said I had no soul because onions didn’t make me cry either, so there’s that. For this project, I’m focusing on the story itself, including dialogue, character development, any subplots, how a story presents itself, the speed at which it moves, if it slows down unnecessarily, etc.
Update: In February 2022, I started a video version of the DFP on Tiktok. You can find the video below. Thoughts expressed in the video may be different than what are expressed in the blog post, due to the time difference in posting.
A Brief Summary
When Mr. Coates leaves to join a cattle drive, his family remains at their ranch with the oldest son Travis as the man of the house. A stray yellow dog arrives at the ranch, creating a mess with Travis trying to run him off. After his little brother, Arliss, decides “Old Yeller” is now his dog, Travis starts taking Old Yeller with him in order to keep an eye on him. Old Yeller proves his value after saving the family from a bear attack, wild pigs, and a rabid wolf. But when Old Yeller gets hydrophobia from the wolf attack, Travis has to take one step closer to becoming a man. Includes raccoons, lots of corn cobs and a new horse.
What works
- I actually like how quickly the story starts. About 5 minutes after the opening credits, the dad is already gone and we meet Old Yeller officially for the first time (his appearances during the opening credits don’t count.)
- Structure-wise, this was one of the best new-to-me movies I’ve seen yet. It moved well, the timing was on point and it had a good balance of light-hearted and dramatic moments (which was necessary for the storyline of this film).
- Travis is my definitely my favorite character. I love how complex he is.
What may or may not work
- Mr. Searcy was an entertaining character to watch, as he could tell long tales and gave ‘interesting’ advice while avoiding actual work. However, there was just something flat about his character. I mean, I get that he was just a supporting character but he felt more like a caricature than a character.
Honorable Mentions
- At the beginning of the movie, Jim (the dad) tells his wife that he’ll bring her a store-bought dress and measures her waist to remember the right size. When he pulls his hands away, he spreads his hands a bit farther, causing his wife to slap his hand.
- Elizabeth has such a crush on Travis, it’s adorable.
- Arliss: “How come you shot old Rose?” Travis: “She was sick.” Arliss: “Well you were sick too, how come they didn’t shoot you?” (Quite possibly my favorite bit in the whole movie.)
- Mrs. Coates’ reaction to the new shoes and dress (mostly the shoes) was worth all the things.
Side Questions
- How long did it take Arliss to catch the lizard for his mom? He left before they started taking care of Old Yeller and by the time he came back, they had Old Yeller wrapped up, a litter made, blankets laid out and hooked up to their mule.
- Did Elizabeth just spend the night at the Coates’ after Old Yeller’s death? That’s fine but is that a somewhat normal occurrence?
What I learned from watching this film
- From the moment the movie started (after the opening credits), I was completely transfixed, completely immersed in this Texan landscape. Other than Mr. Searcy’s somewhat caricatured performance, I was believing what I was hearing and seeing. The story was so well laid out that I didn’t think too much about the fact that I was watching it rather than experiencing it. Definitely one of the highlighted movies of the project thus far. As I work on my own projects, I hope I am able to improve to better capture this level of storytelling immersion.
If you’ve seen Old Yeller, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!
Rewind to the beginning of the Disney Film Project
Skip back to the previous film with Perri
Fast Forward to the next film with The Light in the Forest
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