Mel (film)

Plot summary

Bonnie and Peter are working on their marriage while dealing with a difficult teen-aged son. Her father takes the boys (Roger and Travis) in for the summer at his farm. It is apparent early on that he's fighting with developers that want his land while he wants to preserve his family's legacy. The developers had taken over a prior farm and turned it into an amusement park, something that Grandpa does not approve of. The boys explore as children will and find their grandfather is harboring a large turtle-like creature called Mel. Mel is a legend of local Swanson Lake and is known as Swannie to the general populace (shades of 'Nessie'). The boys are helped to adjust to their small town 'exile' by getting to know him. While going around with a girl (Susie) one day, Roger (the elder boy) accidentally causes an explosion on the developer's property with his grandfather's tractor. When the sheriff comes by to arrest Grandpa, Roger tells them he was the one who caused the wreck but they still put Grandpa in jail. Bonnie and Peter (the boys' parents) come to stay at the farm when Grandpa is jailed. The boys end up staging a break out for Mel from the amusement park and with the help of Susie and her brother try to get him back to the lake, setting a tiger loose and creating mayhem in the process.