The Journey of Natty Gann
Tags: depressing

Plot synopsis:
Set in 1935, the movie tells the story of a 15-year-old tomboy girl, Natty Gann (Meredith Salenger). Out of work because of Depression-era unemployment, Natty's widowed father Sol (Ray Wise) parlays his surefootedness into getting a job as a lumberjack. To take the job he must leave on almost no notice on a company bus from Chicago to the state of Washington. Unable to find Natty before the bus leaves, he leaves her a letter promising to send her the fare to join him as soon as he has earned it. Meanwhile he makes arrangements with Connie (Lainie Kazan), the shallow and insensitive innkeeper of their roominghouse, so Natty can stay on under Connie's temporary supervision.
After overhearing Connie reporting her as an abandoned child, Natty runs away to find her father on her own, embarking on a cross-country journey riding the rails along with other penniless travelers and hoboes. Along the way she saves a wolfdog from a dog fighting ring. In return the dog, whom she calls Wolf, becomes her friend and protector in her attempt to return to her father. She has a brief, innocent romance with another young traveler, Harry (John Cusack), and encounters various obstacles that test her courage, perseverance, and ingenuity, such as being falsely accused of cattle rustling and remanded to a juvenile facility. Natty escapes the detention center and confronts the blacksmith who has been given control of the captured Wolf. The smith turns out to be kind and fair-minded, releases Wolf to Natty, and gives her food, a ride to a train station and enough money for a ticket. She is cheated of her ticket money by an unscrupulous ticket agent and narrowly escapes his attempt to turn her in, returning to "riding the rails" illicitly on freight trains, where she is unexpectedly reunited with Harry in a railside shantytown.
When Natty's father calls Connie, she tells him Natty is gone. In a later phone call he is grieved to learn that Natty's wallet was found underneath a derailed freight train - unbeknownst to him, she lived through the crash. He is given a week's leave from the lumber company to search through the wreckage for her, to no avail. He returns to the lumber camp and requests the most dangerous jobs, known as "widow's work", now that he seems to have little to live for.
Arriving on the west coast, Natty's journey takes several more challenging turns. Harry finds work through the federal Works Progress Administration in San Francisco, but she declines his invitation to go with him, in order to find her father. The logging operation does not list Sol Gann among their workers, and Natty searches fruitlessly for him, showing other loggers his photo in a pendant he has given her which is her last trace of her parents. Wolf is entranced by wolf calls from the woods and she urges him to go; it is a painful parting. Her search is thwarted by the company clerk who catches her in one of the backwoods camps, and she is waiting to be sent back down the mountain for her own safety when the clerk unexpectedly shows up with the returned letter her father had sent enclosing her train ticket to rejoin him. The clerk has located him and Natty is on her way on foot to the high camp where he is working when the camp bus whirls past her going down carrying injured loggers including her father. Glimpsing him, she calls to him but sees no sign he has heard her. They are, however, reunited in a heartwarming embrace further down on the mountain road.

Review: Considering all the costume jewelry Disney released in the aforementioned decades, you would think they would have more respect for this gem.I'm sure parents who took their children to see Natty Gann when it was released were surprised and shocked to discover that it was not a film for younger children.
This is not only the story of a young girl traveling across country to find her father, it is the story of people searching for hope and trying to survive in an age when just having food on the table was a constant struggle.
When Natty's father Sol(Ray Wise) is offered a job in a logging camp in Washington, he is only given a few hours to come to a decision, either take the job and leave Natty behind, or stay in Chicago with Natty and hopefully find work elsewhere.
After Natty overhears Connie reporting her as an abandoned child, she decides not to wait for her father to send for her, and begins an arduous journey across country to find him.If ever there was a film that is a picture of contrasts it's this one.
Later, as Natty travels westward, there is beautifully photographed scenery of forests and mountains, but Director Kagan astutely reminds us of the bleakness of the depression with many scenes of the struggle in rural America, ranging from a scene of a farmer and his much pregnant wife plowing a field, to scenes of orphaned and abandoned children left to be wards of the state.
When Natty jumps her first train, she is help and befriended by Harry(John Cusack), who is also riding the rails.
What is more frustrating is the fact that Disney can do quality video releases, so just a decent film to DVD wide screen transfer would not have been a lot to ask for.
They should be ashamed of what they have done to this fine fine film.My Grade: Journey of Natty Gann-A
This haunting and delightful film - intended for children but equally compelling for adults - tells the story of Natty Gann, a brave and resourceful young girl who traipses across Depression-era America to find her only relative, her long-lost dad.
Natty Gann is simply a wonderful film for young and old alike..
One of the earlier reviews was talking about how all of the bad things that happen to Natty are inappropriate for a disney movie, but I think that those are the things that make this film so great.
Part of the reason why was that Disney made a poor decision by releasing this movie in pan and scan on DVD.
Journey of Natty Gann is a wonderful movie and is perhaps one of Disney's best.
The cast features Meredith Salenger, John Cusack, Ray Wise and Scatman Crothers who all put in terrific performances (special mention also goes out to Jed the dog who plays Natty's wolf companion).
This movies also boasts some incredible outdoor photography and a memorable music score by James Horner.The story is about a twelve year old girl named Natty (Meredith Salenger) who travels across 1930's America in search of her father.
Meredith Salenger was absolutely fantastic in the title role, completely believable and even heart-rending, I am lost for words at how she hasn't gone on to be a major star, for her performance showed that she really could act, which could more than be said for some of the actresses working today.
John Cusack is also impressive as the drifter who tries to convince Natty that the open road is no place for a young girl.
'The Journey of Natty Gann' was a film that I watched several times when I was a child.
I enjoyed it because there are few movies in which there is a female lead character who is a tomboy, and I could easily relate to this character, being a tomboy and seeking adventure myself.This film is about Natty, a girl during the Great Depression, who is separated from her father.
Unforgettably undeniably Disney movie set in the 1930s, in which a 14-year-old girl (first lead major starring role of actress Meredith Salenger) travels across the country in search for her father (Ray Wise) who is 2,000 miles away, because there was work there .
With the help of a wolf (stunningly portrayed by a dog called Jed) and a drifter (John Cusack) she goes out to the dangerous adventure .
A touching and warming film about a tomboyish girl who runs away from her guardian to join her daddy who has gone to Washington state and only love, hope and courage can help her find him.
A top-notch Disney-Silver Screen Partners representation of life during the Great Depression in which a girl runs thousand miles of danger separate her from her father.
There's a return of the old values of Disney studio with this stirring tale of a brave teen who tough as any boy runs away from Depression until Washington state .
Remaing cast is excellent as John Cusack as a young drifter for whom she feels the first moving of love .
NATTY GANN : Solid Family-Film That Embraces It's Dark Qualities....
THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN This was in the back of my video cabinet and I haven't watched it since I was a child.
NATTY GANN is a rather unknown Disney release from 1985 that takes places in the '30's.
Natty Gann is a young girl living with just her father in a bleak time.
However, at her core, she truly loves her father.So when he is forced to leave her at a moment's notice to travel to Washington (the only place he can find work) Natty is left in the care of a bitter Landlord.
It doesn't take long for Natty, played by Meredith Salenger, to runaway in an attempt to travel the 2,000 miles to be with her father again.On her journey, Natty meets all kinds of people who are suffering due to the nation's economic situation.
Together, they continue to travel towards her Washington State in pursuit of Natty's father.As the plot description above makes clear, the framework of this film is not horribly unique or important.
This is a very dark family film that lacks all of the standard, corny Disney clichés (aside from the animal friend, but here he doesn't talk...
and he isn't particularly nice at first).THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN portrays the depression-era and it's effects on the poor very honestly.
She hasn't found much success in film following this movie, but it is definitely one of the best child performances of the 80's.Now aside from the good qualities of the film, THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN moves a little too slow for me to really love it.
And there is a supporting role / love interest played by John Cusack who is essentially useless to the plot.But Disney deserves some credit for boldly taking family films to a darker, more artistically developed place in 1985 (both RETURN TO OZ and NATTY GANN were released in that year).
This movie was really great, it had an exciting and plausible plot, reasonable acting -- and it wasn't just cheesy crap compared to most of the other drivel that was being played for us kids at that time.
Heh.Great film !I want to watch it again to see if I still like it as much, but I know I probably will ...
I know the plot quite well, I did watch the movie at least 8 or 10 times as kid..
This is a nice movie about a courageous girl just trying to get to her father, with a little help from friends, and even more enemies.
When I saw Meredith Salenger in the Title role of (The Journey of) Natty Gann as a TV Movie shortly after it was made I literally fell in love with her and I've followed her career ever since.
In the film her father has to leave her alone while he goes looking for work across the other side of the States BUT she is soon in hot pursuit and thus her journey, adventure and the excitement begins and what a series of episodes it is.
A wonderful film, extremely good performances with Scatman Crothers in one of his final roles..
This was NOT her original work, and I challenge her to claim it was (I have nothing against her - I am confident she was simply given the basic plot and told to write the screenplay, and accuse her of nothing that could be construed as unethical).It was my father's great misfortune to have had this happen in the days when no L.A. lawyer in his/her right mind would sue the Walt Disney Corporation.
I first learned of "The Journey of Natty Gann" in kindergarten when a video that I watched featured an ad for it.
In fifth grade, the teacher showed the class another video that featured an ad for this movie, and she mentioned that it starred a young John Cusack.
In this case it's the Great Depression witnessed by a tough but kind-hearted girl venturing from Chicago to Seattle in search of her father.
Even though this is a Disney movie, there are some intense scenes showing what the authorities did to people.
And beyond that, we get some great shots of the British Columbia wilderness (where the movie got filmed).
I watched this movie on the Disney channel as a kid and fell in complete love with it then!
Meredith Salenger is captivating as Natty, an undaunted tomboy who runs away (from an unbearable landlady) cross-country to find her dad, who is logging in the wilderness of Washington State!
Along the way she becomes comrades with a beautiful wolf, who protects & aids her, and meets up with a young, savvy hobo, played by John Cusack.
I love this movie with all my heart, so I hope you will watch it and then write the record companies DEMANDING a SOUNDTRACK be released!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
The film also paints an exquisite picture of how arduous it was to live during The Great Depression, and how work was vital like water (which is what prompts Natty's father to leave for work across the country).
The cinematography is also breathtaking with its glorious scenes set in nature, and the animal actor Jed does a wonderful job at playing a believable wolf, considering that he was in fact an Alaskan Malamute in real life!.
The Journey of Natty GannThe bond between dogs and women took longer because wolves wouldn't get into designer purses.Mind you, the tomboy in this adventure is more likely to be carrying around a bindle.When Sol (Ray Wise) finds work in the forests of Washington State during the Great Depression, he leaves his 15-year-old daughter Natty (Meredith Salenger) behind in Chicago until he can send for her.
Along the way she befriends a wolf and fellow hobo (John Cusack), who teaches her how to survive life on the road.Besides an authentic depiction of life during the depression, this live-action Disney movie from 1985 also has a touching story about a girl and her wolf that will resonate with animal lovers.In fact, wolves still make excellent travel companions for women of any age.
It's not often one gets to see as the primary star of a movie, a strong young female character in a full feature film.
The Journey of Natty Gann is a relatively straight forward movie with a young daughter (Meredith Salenger in her first major role) who braves a cross country trip by rail to go after her father (played by Ray Wise, who became a household face in television's Twin Peaks, 1990-1) who has left to take a job in Washington State cutting down trees.
During her journey she has an extended encounter with a wolf and several scenes with John Cusack in one of first acting gigs in film.
Natty Gann takes elements from Never Cry Wolf (1983) a drama focused on a scientist studying wolves in their natural environment, The Incredible Journey that focused on the long trek of three animals trying to find their where back home, and the strength of female character found in the likes of Where the Lilies Bloom (1974).
Similar movies were later made using similar themes such as the journey of an animated cartoon superdog in Bolt (2008), a girl's belief in caring for some baby geese in Fly Away Home (1996), an orphan girl in The Secret Garden (1993), a girl's search for a mysterious animal in The Secret of Roan Inish (1995), a girl attempts to ride a whale, something only boys in her culture are allowed to do Whale Rider (2002), a girl who goes looking for her lost father in Winter's Bone (2010) Perhaps the strongest girl movies have been The Lovely Bones (2009) of a deceased girl searching to mystery surrounding her own murder, the animation feature film Spirited Away (2001) of a Japanese girl who enters a fantasy world in a long epic adventure, and in this case "a boy" who goes on a journey surrounding a mysterious key in the aftermath of 9/11 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011).
THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN is something of an anomaly in the Disney catalog, a breath-takingly grim account of a depression-era girl riding the railroads to be reunited with her father in a labor camp in California.
The fact that the Disney company tried to pigeon-hole this film as a family offering disturbs me, for I find very little in the way of family entertainment here.
John Cusack appears as one of the few sympathetic characters and Natty's ill-conceived love interest.
Don't misunderstand me, this is a good film - a depression-era story of a young girl traveling across country to re-unite with her father - but I guess I didn't expect to hear "hell", "g*d d**n", "s**t", "son of a b***h", etc.
Set during the Great Depression, this live action Disney film involves a girl left in the care of her selfish landlady after her widowed father finds work miles away, and the journey she makes to find him upon overhearing the landlady's plans to throw her out.
Meredith Salenger is well cast as the resourceful title character, striking a perfect balance between vulnerability and resilience, and the film is darker and more graphic than your average Disney fare.
Ray Wise is fine as Sol, Natty's loving father, but all the actresses who play matrons are very flat while Lainie Kazan goes way over-the-top as the evil landlady.
There's a job in Washington state but he has to leave behind his daughter Natty (Meredith Salenger).
The Journey of Natty Gann follows teenage Natalie Sue Gann (Meredith Salenger) as she travels from Chicago to Seattle in search of her father.After Natty's father Sol Gann (Ray Wise) was offered a job in Washington state he had to take it, leaving Natty in the less than tender care of Connie, their landlady (Lainie Kazan).
However, after hearing Connie call the police for an 'abandoned girl' Natty runs away, unable to wait until Sol sends for her.Over the course of her journey, Natty meets up with a knowledgeable young man by name of Harry (John Cusak), a group of rag-tag misfits with a rather mafia-esque 'you take care of us, we take care of you' motto, and a loyal 'Wolf' (which may or may not be a Husky, since everyone but Natty refers to it as a dog, and it is played by the dog of 'White Fang' fame) that seems to have a sixth-sense when it comes to danger.Despite being made by Disney, Natty Gann is a cute movie without suffering the candy-coated sweetness of most recent Disney films.
Overall, the good acting, great scenery and decent script make for an enjoyable film that everyone in the family can enjoy.Hey, the star even swears four times!.
I just watched it for the first time in many years, and I had forgotten how wonderful a film it truly is.
A smart, headstrong, loving girl sets off across country to reconnect with her father, what more do you need from a movie?
Don't Remember Very Well, But Remember Liking It. I barely feel qualified to write a comment on this forgotten Disney live-action film from the mid-1980s, since I've only seen it once, and that was back when it first came out.
It seems to me that Disney had a pretty good track record of live action films during that decade ("Never Cry Wolf" is another forgotten one) but that few of them have had any staying power.Grade: B+.
With so many movies around, "The Journey of Natty Gann" is worth its while.
For Natty Gann(Meredith Salenger) she makes a quest to go find him.
Meredith Salenger was a great actress as Natty Gann.
Natty runs into all sorts of adventures on her journey from Chicago to Washington state.
A great movie with beautiful visuals, and wonderful performances from Meredith Salenger and John Cusack!.
"Natty Gann" is very similar to other Disney animal classics.
I like the movie because of the friendship between Natty and the wolf and the adventures she experiences on her way to the west with the spirit on the girl's mind to find back to her father.
I got this movie out for the family, and yes there are unsettling bits in it, vis - the dog fight, the abuse, the orphanage, the tree scene, when you think about it probably the whole film.
Although I first saw this film when I was probably six years old, it has stuck with me as an inspiration, and set a standard that very few movies live up to.
The love story between Natty and Harry is so romantic, and the independent spirit of a young girl was rare in movies back then and is still rare now.
This is an overlooked film that has always filled me with that feeling of secret magic, that there can be movies and stories like this, and that a young girl can make it on her own.
kids smoking in a Disney movie?
If you want to watch a good old fashioned boy with dog , or in this case girl with wolf, film, then you could do no better than this.