An orphaned child befriends a bear after his father dies

A Stranger in My Forest is a family melodrama churned out by Mark IV Pictures, a company most known for their controversial and austere films about the Rapture. It starts with a tragic car crash that robs a young boy and his older sister of their parents. The now traumatized boy befriends a bear, clearly as a coping mechanism for the loss of his parents. This brings him into conflict with his community - in particular the Sheriff - who do not accept the boys peculiar friendship with the animal.

As you'd expect from a explicitly Evangelical film-company, a Stranger in My Forest is heavily embedded with a Christian ambiance and morals. Unlike the Rapture films though, this movie does not present its ideology in such a vindictive and imposing manner. Which is fitting for a family film. The storytelling is also more conventional, compared to the Rapture films often bizarre and feverish plot lines. 

There are many problems that weight down this film - most of them common among low-budget, independently produced products. It's generally kind of dull and unengaging. However, the director did manage to make something out of the movies independent spirit. There is a sincerity and gravitas to the morals being presented, as if the makers and actors truly believed in what they were saying. This leaves the film with a sense of seriousness that the big-budget productions often lack. Even if the overt Evangelical spirit may rub many people the wrong way, there is at least nothing faux about the creators intentions.

3.5/10... (4/10)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The family genre features stories specifically created to be suitable for a wide range of age groups within a family. Family-oriented content is designed to be enjoyed by both children and adults, often providing entertainment that is wholesome, relatable, and appropriate for all members of a family to watch or experience together.

Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

A lonely boy befriends a bear as a bitter old man plots the bear's death.

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A Stranger in My Forest

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