Grey Owl (film)

Plot

Archibald Belaney (Brosnan) was a British man who grew up fascinated with Native American culture—so much so that in the early 1900s he left the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for Canada, where he reinvented himself as Archie Grey Owl and lived in the wild as a North American Indian trapper. 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 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, had attended "Grey Owl's" De Montfort Hall, Leicester lecture in 1936, depicted in the film, and being influenced by his advocacy of conservation. The musical group Northern Cree Singers is featured in the soundtrack.

Reception

The film met with average to negative reviews, and has a 'rotten' 18% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. 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 at the 20th Genie Awards, in the category of Best Costume Design for Renée April.