Search - Rascal on DVD

Rob N. from CORUNNA, IN
Reviewed on 2/15/2011...

I was so happy to have finally found this movie on DVD. This movie was always a favorite of mine and it was the impetus for me to read many of Sterling North's books. This movie spoke to me on a level no other did or has since. However, watching it as an adult is a completely different experience. I see the flaws in it and why it was never a big blockbuster. The action is a bit draggy and the narration is unappealing except to maybe those who know Walter Pidgeon from his earlier years as a movie star. But the movie is still enjoyable and I am sure that many children will love it. What I found that I like about it is the scenery and the idyllic presentation of a time that lives only in memory.
This movie is filled with actors from a previous era: Steve Forrest and Elsa Lanchester to begin with. But there are also character actors whose names you may not recognize, but whose faces you certainly will.
I wish Disney would release this with extras - like reminisces from the actors themselves. I still like this movie and found it is not diminished with time. It is still beautiful.

One of the best boy-pet stories of all time ...

06/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Rascal," the Disney/Buena Vista live-action film based on the 1963 million-plus, best-selling "memoir of a better era" by Wisconsin-born author Sterling North, is finally available on video and DVD -- and, although the wait has been far too long, the film stands up to the test of time. Bill Mumy is charming as Sterling as a child, but the animals steal this show. Masterfully directed by the same gent who created the best of Disney's nature flicks, this warm-hearted, nostalgic view of 1918-era southern Wisconsin (the fictional setting of Brailsford Junction is based on the author's hometown of Edgerton, Wisconsin, located in Rock County, nearby a meandering Rock River and one of the largest lakes in the state, Koshkonong) will please adults and children alike. Having the film widely available again, 33 years after its first theatrical release, is almost worth the shortcomings of the DVD (and those all involve the decision not to include any extras -- no theatrical trailers, no biographical info on the talented cast, no info on Sterling North [1906-1974, also the author of "So Dear to My Heart," made into another film by Disney in 1949], no info on the Sterling North Society of Edgerton and its restoration of Sterling's childhood home as a museum, etc. etc.), all of which would have added immeasurably to the movie's enjoyment. Nevertheless, a first-rate effort by a talented team and a film made during the golden age of Disneyeseque films about boys and their pets."

Slow and quiet movie

microjoe | 01/28/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A warm story of a young boy who's father is a single parent, but is gone on travel as a salesman most of the time. The boy is well behaved though, and his love for animals is what gets him in trouble at times. He collects them in a way, but when he brings home a baby raccoon, things really get wild. Naturally when the raccoon grows up, it changes, and that is hard on the boy. I love old Disney films, and this is very nostalgic. But let me warn you, it is a litle slow paced. It is a neat time period, with the cars, clothes and homes. But I agree that people expect to see more fun and action with the raccoon, my son was bored too.
I wish Disney had released this in widescreen or taken the time to add any extras such as theatrical trailers, or footage from their many shows that included animals. Disney made the best animal movies of all time, and they made the most. If you want great animal stories for your kids try other Disney fare such as "Nikki the Wild Dog of the North", "Lobo", "Sammy the Way Out Seal", "Charlie the Lonesome Cougar", "The Ugly Dachsund", "That Darn Cat", and many more. Some of these are released as videos under the name Anchor Bay instead of Disney, but they are originally Disney in the theatre."

A Crunchy Parental Review of

Anne P. Mitchell | Boulder, Colorado | 01/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Rascal" is the true story of a baby raccoon which author Sterling North found when he was 11 years old, and raised until it was time to set the raccoon back in the wild.

This is a sweet story, and the bits which may cause some parents concern in the book itself are not even present in the movie, making it sweeter still.

There are spoken threats to the raccoon (neighbors warn that if the raccoon starts to raid gardens, he will be shot), but it never goes beyond that.

That said, there are scenes where Sterling's father has a dead turkey slung over his shoulder, and another where the plucked turkey is ready to become dinner.

Also, in one scene Sterling's father invites the town's new minister and Sterling's teacher in to dinner, and proceeds to get them drunk on hard cider.

One other matter which may cause concern for some - although it is based on reality - is that Sterling's mother has passed away, and, to compound matters, his father is a travelling entrepreneur, and he often leaves young Sterling at home alone for days on end (it is made clear in the movie that this is not ok, although Sterling's father doesn't seem to see it that way at first).

Finally, there is a scene in the beginning - and one in the end - where the raccoons tangle with a bobcat. Nobody gets particularly hurt, but it might be a bit scary for a few moments for younger children.

If the above are ok for your family, then "Rascal" is a very sweet film, and we will be watching it again.

And, oh yes, the fellow who plays Sterling is none other than Bill Mumy - yes, that Bill Mumy, who played Will Robinson in "Lost in Space".

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