Seven Alone

Starring:Seven Alone
Studio: Brentwood Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Seven Alone

Manufacturer: Vision Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000DZ7XV6
Release Date: 2005-12-08

Description

Based on a true story, Seven Alone is an inspiring saga of heroism and a family's perseverance in the rugged Old West.

On a harrowing 2,000 mile trek across America from Missouri to the Oregon coast, the death of their parents leaves these gallant youngsters alone and facing nearly certain death. Showing unbelievable courage, they decide to press on to fulfill their dead parents' wishes.

Seven Alone is the kind of family drama that is a must-see for both young and old.

Product Description

A Sensitive, Passionate Man (1977) (TV)The marriage of a wealthy, outwardly happy couple is threatened by the husband's alcoholism. Seven Alone (1974) A fictionalized account of the real-life adventure of the Sager family. Travelling with a wagon train from Missouri to Oregon, things are going well for the Sagers, until father Sager dies from blood poisoning following an Indian attack, and mother Sager dies soon afterward from pneumonia. The leaders of the wagon train decide to send the children back, but the oldest, John (who had been described by all the adults as lazy and worthless), decides to lead his siblings through the wilderness to complete the journey their parents started.

Customer Reviews:

Another mixed-quality double-feature.......2006-03-20

Our first feature tonight, ladies and gentlemen, is the heart-wrenching made-for-television "A Sensitive, Passionate Man" (4 stars), starring David Janssen and Angie Dickinson. Janssen plays a brilliant, romantic aerospace engineer, with a loving wife (Dickinson), two wonderful sons (Justin Randi as Kerry, the cheerful, happy-go-lucky younger son, and Todd Lookinland as Daniel, the older, more introspective son), and a beautiful home in a beautiful neighborhood. Everything is wonderful, even if Janssen does occasionally drink too much at parties.

Then, Janssen loses his job, and everything begins to slowly spiral out of control, with increased drinking, a lot of broken promises, secrets, out-of-control behavior (followed by remorseful pledges to change but no real, lasting change), yelling and screaming, some hitting, much embarrassment, aborted attempts at treatment, and the whole nine yards. Dickinson loves her husband, cannot stand his behavior, wants to help him change, cannot stay, and cannot leave.

This film was made in 1977, and some now-commonly-accepted ideas are treated as new frontiers, giving the film a touch of obsolescence. However, Janssen's plunge into the abyss, with its destructive wake, and all the familial confusion and uncertainty, are very on-target. While I think Dickinson's character keeps trying too long, that is also a common reality in families where alcoholism is a factor.

While some of the supporting performances are a bit weak, the four central characters (Janssen, Dickinson, Lookinland, Randi) are portrayed extremely well. The end result is a well-done and painfully realistic trek into the ugliness of extreme alcoholism. It is quite reminiscent of Ray Milland in Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend."

For our second feature, we have a very good story, that is unfortunately not told very well, in 1974's "Seven Alone" (2 stars). Dewey Martin and Anne Collings portray Mr. and Mrs. Sager, a couple with 6.9 children. Mrs. Sager is happy living in the Midwest, but Mr. Sager dreams of the Promised Land in Oregon, and the family eventually heads westward in 1843. Sadly, all does not go well, with Mr. Sager dying of blood poisoning, and Mrs. Sager having her seventh child, but then succumbing to pneumonia.

The rest of the wagon train, including Aldo Ray as a bellicose, semi-competent doctor, and James Griffith as the orphans' uncle, want the children to go back. But, the oldest boy, John, vows to fulfill his father's dream. John has always been the stubborn, sometimes-lazy, often-mischievous, hotheaded one in the family, and he tries to forge there traits into heroic determination and pull the family through, by sheer force of will (and a lot of bullying).

This movie has three medium-sized flaws, plus one big one. Medium-sized flaw number one is the erratic acting of most of the cast, although Anne Collings is pretty good, as the warm, reasonable, caring mother.

Medium-sized flaw number two is a marked lack of realism, in what is purportedly a true story. The seven children, including a baby, make it through terrible ordeals, while many of the adults in the wagon-train fall victim to illness, injury, or attack by the native residents. Oh, and Kit Carson (Dean Smith) pops in, to save the day, in a very deus-ex-machina fashion.

Medium-sized flaw number three is the script. The viewer cannot take some of the dialogue seriously, and you can tell, at times, that the cast cannot believe it, either. Stewart Petersen tries to portray John as well as he can, but the overall level of the script ends up sounding very much like a junior high school play.

The big flaw? The ending! This is one of the most botched endings for a film that I have seen. Once they get across the mountains, it's like the director and producer looked at each other and said, "Oops, we're out of time and money. Let's just skip right to the end." And, they do. We go three-quarters of the way to Oregon in the first ninety minutes of the film, and the film is over in ninety-seven minutes. If I had been told that the film is based on a true story, I would interpret the abrupt, everything-turns-out great ending as a hypothermia-induced hallucination, as John freezes to death.

While I am not a fan of re-makes, "Seven Alone" is a film that should be re-made, with a stronger cast, a better script, and a stronger dose of realism.

Memorable but too heavy.......2005-12-19

A Sensitive Passionate Man is an extremely depressing story. A man loses his job and becomes an alcoholic. He disintegrates in front of our eyes. That is basically the whole plot. It is difficult to watch. His wife and children must go on. The "happy ending" is that the destroyed man finally dies, and the wife and kids are well rid of him. I'd give this movie 2 stars and I feel sorry for anyone who puts himself through watching it. It is not well directed, though the acting is good. The early pacing is much too slow. It takes too long to grab our interest.

Seven Alone is better, although still too heavy. A mid 19th century man decides to leave his established home, and take his wife and children across country to live out his dream to be a pioneer in Wyoming. The wife sensibly resists until neighbors and relatives entice them all to go. The husband and wife both die on the trip, leaving leadership of the family up to the oldest child, a troublesome boy. The boy insists on going all the way to the original destination despite some good reasons to cut the trip short. This foolish and reckless dream nearly kills them all, but there is a happy ending, as the boy keeps his family together after all, arriving at the destination and meeting an unbelievably irresponsible Kit Carson, who basically gives moral support and allows the children to be placed in an almost impossible situation on their own.

The movies are memorable. That's one thing I can say for them. That's worth something. They are both ponderous.

Sobering performances.......2005-09-26

I believe this was made as a television movie of the week, rather than a theatrical release. It is the story of a couple who have been married for 13 years living the American Dream--nice house, husband with great job, wife with two adorable kids. The husband loses his job and his sense of self worth and their whole world crashes as the husband(David Janssen)spirals into alcholism.
Angie Dickinson plays the long suffering wife desparately trying to save the man she loves and the father of her children. She may seem too noble to some but having been in alcoholic family circumstances I know the extent one spouse will go to try to save the other. At the time this film was made, it was just being understood that alcoholism is indeed a disease and there is some reference to this.

I thought Janssen should have gotten an award for his performance. Some of the things that happened in that film were portrayed with such realism it was frightening. As with real life, there is not always a happy ending.

Average customer rating:

a family treasure

Seven Alone (Digitally Remastered)

Manufacturer: Digiview Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Against a Crooked Sky
Seven Alone
Where the Red Fern Grows

ASIN: B0006JF9Z6

Product Description

Digitally Remastered - Seven Orphans fend for themselves in the wilderness. Based on True Story by Honore Morrow. Takes place in 1843.

Customer Reviews:

a family treasure.......2006-01-10

Although dated (the version we have is the cheap $1 disc and is a horrible video transfer job), and filled with flaws, this film is a family treasure. The acting is not great but the overall story and photography are beautiful. It's about a poor farming family of nine that set out from Missouri, in 1843, to go to Oregon Territory and start a new life.
The perils they have along the way are well portrayed. This is based on a true story. What those children accomplished is nothing short of amazing.
**** 4 Stars...Highly recommended family viewing!

Family Adventures, Vol. 1: Silence/Seven Alone/Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/New Adventures of H

Average customer rating:

Family Adventures, Vol. 1: Silence/Seven Alone/Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/New Adventures of H
Starring: Family Adventures
Manufacturer: St Clair Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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Release Date: 2004-08-17

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Dragnet - Collector's Edition

Manufacturer: Treasure Box Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Two Feature Films

ASIN: B000HWSWCE

Product Description

Color Film photo package films on 1 Dvd 96minutes/97 minutes sealed package

Family Time: Seven Alone/The Missouri Traveler/The Adventures of Galla

Average customer rating:

Family Time: Seven Alone/The Missouri Traveler/The Adventures of Galla
Director: Ryota Kawaguchi
Manufacturer: Brentwood Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Release Date: 2003-10-07

[DVD] Double Feature - Toby McTeague (1986) + Seven Alone (1974)

Average customer rating:

[DVD] Double Feature - Toby McTeague (1986) + Seven Alone (1974)

Manufacturer: Family Value Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

Toby McTeague (1986) Toby is a teenager who doesn't care much about school. In fact, he has his eyes on the title of a prestigious dog-sleigh race. He will have to undergo extensive training in order to win it. Seven Alone (1974) A fictionalized account of the real-life adventure of the Sager family. Travelling with a wagon train from Missouri to Oregon, things are going well for the Sagers, until father Sager dies from blood poisoning following an Indian attack, and mother Sager dies soon afterward from pneumonia. The leaders of the wagon train decide to send the children back, but the oldest, John (who had been described by all the adults as lazy and worthless), decides to lead his siblings through the wilderness to complete the journey their parents started.

Family Time-Seven Alone & The Missouri Traveler

Average customer rating:

This is one of the finest family films I've ever seen!

Family Time-Seven Alone & The Missouri Traveler
Starring: Lee Marvin
Manufacturer: BCI, A navarre Corporation Company
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Seven Alone-The true story, set in 1843, of the seven brave Sager children, whose parents died while the family was enroute from Missouri to Oregon. Missouri Traveler-The story of a youth named Byron, a runaway from an orphanage who finds a home in a quiet Missouri named Delphi.

Customer Reviews:

This is one of the finest family films I've ever seen!.......2006-02-04

This is one of the finest family films I've ever seen! The fact that it's only available as a double feature on a $1 DVD from Family Dollar store, is a shame. Starring Lee Marvin and Brandon de Wilde, it's a perfect story for adolescent boys. Set in a small town in Missouri (circa 1890's), it's a rare gem of a portrayal of small town Americana. Disney.
***** 5 Stars! Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Seven Alone
Starring: Aldo Ray; Anne Collings; Dewy Martin
Director: Earl Bellamy
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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