Wild America (1997)

16% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
58% of users liked it
(42,944 ratings)

Based on the true saga of the Stouffer brothers, this movie is an unusual combination of comedy film and nature documentary. In the 1960s in rural Arkansas, Marty Stouffer (Jamey Sheridan) grooms his three sons to take over the family auto parts business. But the sons are more interested in animals,… More Based on the true saga of the Stouffer brothers, this movie is an unusual combination of comedy film and nature documentary. In the 1960s in rural Arkansas, Marty Stouffer (Jamey Sheridan) grooms his three sons to take over the family auto parts business. But the sons are more interested in animals, photography, racing cars and trucks, and impressing girls. Marty, Jr. (Scott Bairstow) and Mark (Devon Sawa) fight frequently with their stern father over his work demands and their yen for adventure. Finally, their mother Agnes (Frances Fisher) intercedes, and the patriarch agrees to let the two boys take a cross-country trip to film a nature documentary. The youngest son, Marshall (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), stows away in his brothers' van and joins them on their travels. They head west, encountering a variety of animals and surviving many dangerous scrapes. The brothers' wacky exploits contribute to a new kind of participatory nature cinematography. In real life, the Stouffer film was shown on national television in 1977, and all three brothers became documentarians and served as advisers on this film biography. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: William Dear
Written By: David Michael Wieger
Genres: Action & Adventure, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Jul 2, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Oct 21, 1997
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today
Wild America often feels like a MMMBop-ish Hanson brothers music video redone for the Discovery Channel.
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
Click to read the article.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Has all the spunk and humor of the old Hardy boys adventure stories.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Jeff "

Wild America was a good little film with a decent cast, story and directing. This film isn't as bad as so many others have said it would be. The film has an interesting and fun story, and the cast is pretty good considering that overall they're not very good actors in… More
Wild America was a good little film with a decent cast, story and directing. This film isn't as bad as so many others have said it would be. The film has an interesting and fun story, and the cast is pretty good considering that overall they're not very good actors in general terms to begin with. Wild America is fun entertainment for the entire family to enjoy. There's a nice blend of comedy and drama that gives it a unique viewing experience, and like I said, the cast for what they do, do it well, despite the fact that most aren't good. I enjoyed the film and how it was different from other drama comedy films, and it was a flawed, but enjoyable film nonetheless. Wild America is adventure film that delivers some memorable comedic bits. Like every other comedy films, this film manages to be amusing and there are lots of good elements that people don't give credit to. This is a much better film than most people would care to admit, and I'm not a fan of the actors in question, but I give them credit for delivering something fun on-screen. If you're looking for an entertaining family film that has good laughs, adventure and a good story, this film is a good choice. Though flawed, Wild America is far from being a bad film, and I think it's fairly underrated, and deserves a bit more credit than all the flack it has received. This film is actually the best performances of Jonathan Taylor-Thomas and Devon Sawa who are overall bad actors. A must see for Adventure film fans looking for a good dose of comedy to boot.
Jennifer D

Cutesy kid movie, but I got a little bored half way through. But some really nice scenery!
Conner R

I love this in the fact that it's so much fun and a great story about brothers. The road story aspect also sets it apart from the majority of other coming of age dramas. I really thought the cast worked well together and made the biopic element come off a lot more accurate.
Coxxie M

oh yes, classic. JTT, Devon Sawa, and Scott Bairstow..... whos Scott Bairstow, you ask?? are you serious? forget it you wouldnt like this all they do is save a panda from being raped and watch tigers and stuff.
Jason S

Not a bad family movie. The kids all hold their own as actors and the story keeps you interested all the way to the end.
Leigh R

Pretty good.
Leo L

Fantastic!