''Kidnapped'' is a 1995 TV

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Ivan Passer Ivan Passer (10 July 1933 – 9 January 2020) was a Czech film director and screenwriter, best known for his involvement in the Czechoslovak New Wave and for directing American films such as ''Born to Win'' (1971), '' Cutter's Way'' (1981) and ...

and starring

Armand Assante Armand Anthony Assante Jr. (; born October 4, 1949) is an American actor. He played mobster John Gotti in the 1996 HBO television film '' Gotti'', Odysseus in the 1997 mini-series adaptation of Homer's ''The Odyssey'', Nietzsche in ''When ...

as Highlander Alan Breck and

Brian McCardie Brian McCardie is a Scottish actor and writer. Early life Brian McCardie attended St. Brendan’s, then St. Athanasius Primary Schools. He went on to Our Lady's High School in Motherwell. His parents moved from Motherwell to Carluke while ...

as Lowlander David Balfour. Among the supporting actors are Michael Kitchen and

Brian Blessed Brian Blessed (; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor, presenter, writer and mountaineer. Blessed is known for portraying PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars'', Augustus in the 1976 BBC television production of '' I, Claudius'', King Richard I ...

. The film was based on the 1886 novel '' Kidnapped'' by

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, best known for playing the title character in the film '' Superman'' (1978) and three sequels. Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey ...

had originally been cast as Breck prior to his

spinal cord injury A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cor ...

in a horse race which left him a

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or ...

on May 27, 1995. The adaptation starts by describing a divided Scotland which is populated by Highlanders and Lowlanders who are loyal to different kings. Alan Breck Stewart is characterised as a leading figure of

Jacobitism , war = , image = Prince James Francis Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet.jpg , image_size = 150px , caption = James Francis Edward Stuart, Jacobite claimant between 1701 and 1766 , active ...

who tried "to keep the flame alive". It ends when Stewart leaves Scotland forever "to have a distinguished career in the French Army", while Balfour stays and marries a lady from the Highlands. Another voice-over tells they had sons who "were neither Highlanders nor Lowlanders. They were Scots." The film was shot in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Plot

Part 1

Alan Breck Stewart (

) returns to his home village, which is already menaced by the highland clearances. His foster father

James Stewart of the Glen James Stewart of the Glen, (Gaelic: ''Seumas a' Ghlinne''; c. 1698 - 8 November 1752) also known as James of the Glens, was a leader of the Scottish Clan Stewart of Appin. He was wrongfully accused and hanged as an accessory to the Appin Murder, t ...

(

Brian McGrath Sir Brian Henry McGrath, GCVO, MW (27 October 1925 – 4 June 2016) was the Private Secretary to the Duke of Edinburgh. He was educated at Eton College. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the Irish Guards, and after World War II, he joined Cann ...

) issues the taxpayers' money for the exiled

House of Stuart The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fi ...

to him and beseeches him to meet King George's

factor Factor, a Latin word meaning "who/which acts", may refer to: Commerce * Factor (agent), a person who acts for, notably a mercantile and colonial agent * Factor (Scotland), a person or firm managing a Scottish estate * Factors of production, suc ...

, the "Red Fox" Colin Roy Campbell of Glenure (

Brendan Gleeson Brendan Gleeson (born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor and film director. He is the recipient of three IFTA Awards, two British Independent Film Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award and has been nominated twice for a BAFTA Award and four times fo ...

). Alan Stewart only grudgingly complies, because he regards the “Red Fox” as a traitor, for at the Battle of Culloden he had to fight against

Loudon's Highlanders Loudon's Highlanders, or the 64th Highlanders, or Earl of Loudon's Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. History Formation The great bravery of the 43rd Highlanders (later renumbered the 42nd) and the admirable servic ...

, a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

of Highlanders led by Campbells. At about the same time David Balfour (

) leaves the fictitious small village Essendean in the Scottish Lowlands. Reverend Campbell tells him he was given a letter in charge by David's late father. It is a letter of introduction addressing a

Laird Laird () is the owner of a large, long-established Scottish estate. In the traditional Scottish order of precedence, a laird ranked below a baron and above a gentleman. This rank was held only by those lairds holding official recognition in ...

. The reverend informs him that his late mother never wanted him to go to the “House of Shaws” and asks him to stay in Essendean. But David is driven by

wanderlust Wanderlust is a strong desire to wander or travel and explore the world. Etymology The first documented use of the term in English occurred in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering ...

, and therefore resolves to go. The "Red Fox" receives Alan Stuart with an abettor who holds the guest at gun point. An English officer named William Reid ( Michael Kitchen) and his soldiers are in waiting when the "Red Fox" offers to protect James Stewart of The Glen. Alan Stuart asks him twice to swear his kin will be protected indeed but even so he merely receives a mute grin. Alan decides the man cannot be trusted and eludes in order to continue his mission. David has meanwhile reached the “House of Shaws”. He also finds all of a sudden a gun directed at him. The man who threatens to shoot him turns out to be his uncle Ebenezer (

Patrick Malahide Patrick Gerald Duggan (born 24 March 1945), known professionally as Patrick Malahide, is a veteran British film, television and theatre actor, author and producer, known, amongst other things, for his roles as Inspector Alleyn in '' The Inspec ...

). Ebenezer reluctantly invites him in, but later on tries to kill him by an arranged accident. David survives, yet the next day Ebenezer has him kidnapped by a criminal sea captain. David wakes up on a ship going to America, where he shall be sold as a slave. When David is trapped, William Reid and “the Red Fox” try to assassinate Alan Breck in the woods. They fail because William Reid smokes a pipe with strong

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

. Alan Breck, who therefore can literally smell the trap, steals a horse and escapes. He leaves a paper with a quote from

A Counterblaste to Tobacco ''A Counterblaste to Tobacco'' is a treatise written by King James VI of Scotland and I of England in 1604, in which he expresses his distaste for tobacco, particularly tobacco smoking.Steve Luck, ''The Complete Guide to Cigars: An Illustrated G ...

written by

James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

. The “Red Fox” relishes this humiliation of Englishman William Reid. David becomes Captain Forbes' new cabin boy, for the previous cabin boy has been murdered by the sailor Mr. Shuan. Alan Breck, who needs to leave for France in a foggy night, accidentally happens to end up on the same ship. David is supposed to wait on Alan. The criminal sea captain attempts to ambush Alan for his gold but David confounds these plans and helps Alan Breck to stand his ground. A severe storm then causes a wreckage. Alan and David return as castaways to the Scottish onshore. Alan runs into his friend Ewan of

Appin Appin ( gd, An Apainn) is a coastal district of the Scottish West Highlands bounded to the west by Loch Linnhe, to the south by Loch Creran, to the east by the districts of Benderloch and Lorne, and to the north by Loch Leven. It lies north ...

, who was just exposed as a Jacobite spy. As his dying friend informs him, William Reid plans to frame James Stewart of The Glen for a murder he is about to carry out. Alan tries to prevent this but he can only witness how the "Red Fox” is shot dead by a sniper. David gets the impression Alan was the assassin and breaks up with him.

Part 2

David is caught by British soldiers who consider him an accomplice of the murderer. Alan can free him. Once they are safe, Alan refutes David's theories about the murder. Both of them go to James Stewart of The Glen and warn him. Against his will he is defended by them when the Red Coats come to arrest him. Soon William Reid himself comes to Alan's home village in order to arrest Alan's foster father. James Stewart of The Glen sacrifices himself for his people's sake, but despite that they are driven off the land. Captain Forbes (

Adam Blackwood Adam Blackwood (1539–1613) was a Scottish author and apologist for Mary, Queen of Scots. Early life He was born in 1539 in Dunfermline, Scotland, to William Blackwood and Helen Reid. The great-nephew of Robert Reid, Bishop of Orkney (1541-1 ...

), William Reid's direct subordinate, is appalled. Alan seeks to prove James Stewart's innocence. He visits gunsmith Angus ( David Kelly), who has produced the very gun used for the Appin Murder. This leads to Hamish MacDonald (

Jonathan Ryan Jonathan Ryan is an Irish actor. Ryan has also played Gerry Adams and Proinsias De Rossa on screen. Biography As a pupil at C.B.C. Monkstown in 1963, Jonathan played rhythm guitar and shared vocals in the Rhythm & Blues band ROOTZGROOP, with ...

) as a primary suspect. Alan now goes to the

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...

of Dunbrea (

Alan Stanford Alan Stanford (born 1949) is an English-Irish actor, director and writer. He has worked in the theatre for many years, including a 30 year association with the Gate Theatre as both actor and director. He is well known for playing George Manning ...

), a former MacDonald

clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard c ...

and asks him for support. The Earl's grand daughter Mary guides Alan and David to her cousin Hamish's house. Hamish does confess the murder but William Reid kills him under the pretence of self-defence. Alan is put in prison and is forced to watch James Stewart of The Glen being executed. David and the Earl of Dunbrea and his granddaughter free Alan Breck. In order to hide, Alan visits his old brother-in-arms

Ewen MacPherson of Cluny Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, also known as "Cluny Macpherson" (11 February 1706 – 30 January 1764), was the Scottish clan chief, Chief of Clan MacPherson during the Jacobite rising of 1745, Jacobite Rising of 1745. He took part as a leading suppo ...

(

). William Reid concedes to Captain Forbes that he has indeed paid Hamish MacDonald to kill the “Red Fox”. As Captain Forbes learns, the “Red Fox” was considered too lenient towards his fellow countrymen and now William Reid is his successor as the King's factor. Following that Captain Forbes meets with Alan Breck and condones Reid's looming demise. Even so, before Alan Breck finally confronts William Reid and kills him, he takes care that David can eventually successfully claim his heritage. After he had done for David Balfour, what he failed to achieve for Bonnie Prince Charlie, he puts an end to William Reid's deceptive schemes and then leaves Britain forever.

References

External links

* * * {{Kidnapped 1995 films Fiction set in 1751 1990s adventure films Adventure television films American adventure drama films American Zoetrope films Films about kidnapping Films about seafaring accidents or incidents Films based on Kidnapped (novel) Films set in the 18th century Films shot in Ireland American swashbuckler films Films with screenplays by Rob Hedden Films directed by Ivan Passer 1990s English-language films 1990s American films