MUST WATCH movies of all time on nature and outdoors
Swiss Family Robinson
The Robinsons are on a voyage from Switzerland to Australia when their ship is caught up in a storm and they are stranded on an uninhibited island in the middle of nowhere. What follows are a series of adventures involving nature, wild animals and extreme weather as they try to survive on the island while waiting for a rescue which may never come. Based on the book Der Schweizerische Robinson by Johann David Wyss, the story has a number of TV and movie adaptations but this 1960s film is our favourite.
Call of the wild
The 2020 movie is based on an adventure novel by Jack London written in 1903 which is a classic book worth reading by all nature lovers. It is about a friendly dog Buck (a St. Bernard-Scotch Collie mix) who is dognapped from his original owners and sold as a sled dog in north western Canada. The movie has an impressive soundtrack and used CGI for the visual effects to ensure no animals were harmed during its shooting.
The sound of music
As indicated by its name, this classic movie from 1965 has a musical theme with some enormously popular songs but we’ve included it in our list for its breath-taking scenery of the Alps mountains. When the Von Trapp family children meet their new governess, she inspires in them a love of music which is closely linked to her connection with the mountains. From the beautiful meadows where the children learn the musical notes to the streams where they inevitably end up taking a plunge, each scene in the outdoors is inspiring.
Swallows and Amazons
Also based on a 1930s novel by Arthur Ransome, this 2016 film shows the adventures of the Walker children during their holidays in the Lake District. What begins as a fun exploration of an island near the place that they are staying turns into a mystery as they encounter some sinister spies in their midst. The atmosphere of the movie is evocative of an era when children spent their days in the sailing, camping and learning skills in the outdoors.
The adventures of the wilderness family
What are the possibilities if one fine day a family decides to leave their home and the city they live in to move into the wilderness of a forest miles from any other signs of the civilization? This question is wonderfully explored in this 1975 film where a family moves from a city life to a forest log cabin situated in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Once they get over some initial surprises and difficulties, they have a fantastic time fishing and picking berries for dinner, until the grizzly bear comes calling.
To be continued in the next month’s edition…
What are your favourite movies about the nature and outdoors and the ones that you’d like to watch? Write to us at Beech.London@mybeech.com and we can include them into our list.
