''Grey Owl'' is a 1999

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

directed by

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

and starring

Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 (''GoldenEye'', ''Tomorrow ...

in the role of real-life British schoolboy turned Native American trapper "Grey Owl", Archibald Belaney (1888–1938), and Annie Galipeau as his wife

Anahareo Gertrude Bernard (June 18, 1906 – June 17, 1986), also known as Anahareo, was a writer, animal rights activist and conservationist of Algonquin and Mohawk ancestry. Biography Gertrude Bernard was born in Mattawa, Ontario, on June 18, 19 ...

, with brief appearances by Graham Greene and others. The screenplay was written by William Nicholson. The film was released on 10 September 1999 in Spain and 15 February 2000 in US. It was the last film made by Largo Entertainment before it went defunct in 1999.

Plot

Archibald Belaney from Britain grows up fascinated with Native American culture—so much so that in the early 1900s, he leaves the United Kingdom for Canada, where he reinvents himself as

trapper Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithic ...

Archie Grey Owl and pretends to be a First Nations native. Eventually, Belaney becomes an environmentalist after renouncing trapping and hunting.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in the English town of Hastings, Quebec towns Chelsea and Wakefield,

Jacques Cartier Park Jacques-Cartier Park is a park in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, along the Ottawa River. It is at the base of the Alexandra Bridge, facing the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. It is named for French explorer Jacques Cartier, who arrived at th ...

and Saskatchewan's Prince Albert National Park. Director Richard Attenborough said in an interview that he and his brother, noted presenter and naturalist

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural histor ...

, had attended "Grey Owl's"

De Montfort Hall De Montfort Hall is the largest music and performance venue in Leicester, England. It is situated adjacent to Victoria Park and is named after the "Father of Parliament", Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. History The hall was built by the ...

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

lecture in 1936, depicted in the film, and been influenced by his advocacy of conservation. The musical group

Northern Cree Singers Northern Cree, also known as the Northern Cree Singers, is a powwow and Round Dance drum and singing group, based in Maskwacis, Bouchard, David (2006). ''Nokum Is My Teacher'', Postface. Illustrated by Allen Sapp. Music by Northern Cree. Red De ...

is featured in the soundtrack. Canadian naturalist and canoe tripper

Hap Wilson David "Hap" Wilson is a Canadian naturalist, canoe tripper, author, illustrator and photographer. He has published numerous Canadian canoe-route guides and books about wilderness life. Works * ''Grey Owl and Me'', with Dundurn Press * ''Tra ...

taught Pierce Brosnan how to throw an axe and paddle a canoe for his role.

Release

The film opened 1 October 1999 on 70 screens in Canada. The film premiered on video in the United States on 15 February 2000. It eventually opened on 3 November 2000 in the United Kingdom.

Critical reception

The film was met with negative reviews. It has a 17% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10. William Gallagher of the BBC said, "if you like cuddly animals or you fancy Pierce Brosnan, you're in luck". The film won one

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...

at the

20th Genie Awards The 20th Genie Awards were held on January 30, 2000, by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, to honour films released in 1999. The ceremony aired live on CBC Television, and a post-event highlights show aired on Radio Canada.Maria Topalovi ...

, in the category of Best Costume Design for

Renée April Renée April is a Canadian costume designer. April is from Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, and her workshop is in Montreal. She designed costumes for approximately 40 productions in Canadian television and film by 2012. She won the Genie Award for B ...

Box office

''Grey Owl'' flopped at the box office upon its limited release grossing $162,360 in its opening weekend in Canada and a total of $632,617 against its $30 million budget.

References

External links

* * * {{William Nicholson 1999 films 1990s adventure drama films 1990s biographical drama films British biographical drama films British adventure drama films Environmental films First Nations films Films about Native Americans Films directed by Richard Attenborough Films set in 1934 Films set in 1935 Films set in 1936 Films set in Ontario Films set in Sussex Films shot in England Films shot in Quebec Films shot in Saskatchewan Films with screenplays by William Nicholson Films scored by George Fenton Canadian biographical drama films English-language Canadian films Canadian adventure drama films Films produced by Richard Attenborough Largo Entertainment films Viacom Pictures films 1999 drama films American biographical drama films American adventure drama films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films 1990s Canadian films 1990s British films English-language biographical drama films English-language adventure drama films