I love the book “Heidi.” I’ve probably read it eight times and would read it again right now, if I was sure where my copy was. When I saw the movie “Courage Mountain” at the video rental store, I was curious, but also apprehensive. As a “Heidi” fan, I wondered – would this movie, based on a sequel that doesn’t exist, do justice to the original, or would I be disappointed?
Juliette Caton stars as Heidi, now fifteen. Clara’s grandmother passed away and left Heidi some money. Grandfather thinks Heidi should use the money to pay for her education, but Heidi’s not sure she wants to leave the mountain again. She’ll miss her home and she’ll especially miss Peter, her old goat-herding friend who has grown up into a handsome young man, played by Charlie Sheen.
She makes the decision to go, and Peter, meanwhile, decides to join the Army. It’s the start of World War I and he wants to be a man now, to do his part. He and Heidi go their separate ways, vowing not to forget each other.
Heidi begins the term at her new school, only to be reminded at every turn how backward she is compared to all the other girls. But when the Army comes in and commandeers the school, sending the girls off to an orphanage until their parents come to collect them, it’s Heidi who gets them through it, helping them to escape the harsh orphanage conditions and getting the girls to safety in her mountain home.
I liked the movie because it was exciting and adventurous. I didn’t like the movie because I felt it strayed too far from the original story. The girl who played Heidi looked too young to be fifteen, and the kiss she and Charlie Sheen share at the end was rather awkward, rather than being a sweet moment of blooming romance, like it should have been. He looked like he was kissing his kid sister. I also didn’t buy how inept Heidi was in the social settings at school – she’d lived with Clara for quite some time and was educated in how to behave in polite society. I don’t think she still would have been that backward. It was also unrealistic to me how easily Peter managed to leave his base and go see Grandfather whenever he wanted to, taking off entirely to come to Heidi’s rescue when needed – I just don’t think the Army would have been that lenient with time off.
If this movie had been about a girl who went off to school and encountered danger, I would have liked it better than I did, as I tried to fit what I knew about Heidi into the concept of the film. It does have its good points, although I do recommend that it not be shown to young children as there are moments of war-related peril. I certainly liked how handsome Peter was – that was a good year for Charlie Sheen. Overall, I have to say – watch the movie, enjoy it for its own merits, and don’t spend your time comparing it to the original book or you’ll be disappointed.
This movie was rated PG.
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