A boy persuades his parents to allow him to adopt a young deer, but what will happen if the deer misbehaves?A boy persuades his parents to allow him to adopt a young deer, but what will happen if the deer misbehaves?A boy persuades his parents to allow him to adopt a young deer, but what will happen if the deer misbehaves?
- Won 2 Oscars
- 3 wins & 5 nominations total
- Deckhand
- (uncredited)
- Mrs. Saunders
- (uncredited)
- Arch Forrester
- (uncredited)
- Captain
- (uncredited)
- Twink Weatherby
- (uncredited)
- Pack Forrester
- (uncredited)
- Mate
- (uncredited)
- Mr. Ranger
- (uncredited)
- Eulalie Boyles
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaClarence Brown insisted that his actors wear no make-up to achieve a naturalistic look. Claude Jarman Jr. had to wear a straw hat in between takes so that his fair skin didn't burn, while the pale Jane Wyman had to sit under a sun lamp for 15 minutes to make it look like she spent most of her time outdoors.
- GoofsWhen Jody runs away from home, he is barefoot. While trudging through the swamp, however, he is shown wearing dark sneakers (perhaps for protection during filming). Later scenes show him to be barefoot again.
- Quotes
Penny Baxter: [on the occasion of the burial of Fodderwing] Oh Lord. Almighty God. It ain't for us ignorant mortals to say what's right and what's wrong. Was any one of us to be doin' of it, we'd not of bring this poor boy into the world a cripple, and his mind teched. We'd of bring him in straight and tall like his brothers, fitten to live and work and do. But in a way o' speakin', Lord, you done made it up to him. You give him a way with the wild creatures. You give him a sort of wisdom, made him knowin' and gentle. The birds come to him, and the varmints moved free about him, and like as not he could of takened a she wild-cat right in his pore twisted hands. Now you've done seed fit to take him where bein' crookedy in mind or limb don't matter. But Lord, it pleasures us to think now you've done straightened out them legs and that pore bent back and them hands. It pleasures us to think on him, movin' around as easy as any one. And Lord, give him a few red-birds and maybe a squirrel and a 'coon and a 'possum to keep him company, like he had here. All of us is somehow lonesome, and we know he'll not be lonesome, do he have them little wild things around him, if it ain't askin' too much to put a few varmints in Heaven. Thy will be done. Amen.
- Crazy creditsAll scenes involving animals in this picture were made under the supervision and with the cooperation of the American Humane Association
- Alternate versionsReissued theatrically in the 1950s in a 94-minute version. This reissue print was also shown occasionally on television in the 1960s.
- ConnectionsEdited into Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
Claude Jarman Jr. stars as Jody Baxter, a young boy living in post-Civil War America who longs for the companionship and love of a pet - someone to take care of and nurture. While Jody's loving father, Ezra(Gregory Peck)makes great strides to give Jody companionship and someone to look up to, Jody suffers from the neglect of his hardened mother, Orry(Wyman), still reeling from the untimely deaths of her other children. Jody befriends a fawn and takes it in as his own. The two bond and love each other. But what happens when the young deer begins to eat the crops that the family live off of? Only tragedy can ensue.
"The Yearling" is a delicately handled film that encapsulates the best of 1800's living. And while this is deemed a "family film", there are some surprisingly difficult scenes and sub-plots that might be scary to some children. I know I was uncomfortable watching the animal fight scenes and the death of one of Jody's close friends. And even though this has got to be one of the most predictable movies, the performances we get from Wyman, Peck and, especially Jarman, are stellar. In the movie's final emotional scenes, no one has been so convincing as Jarman in conveying heartache and mind-numbing trauma. And Wyman, while on the sidelines, is incredible as a woman afraid to open up and terrified to lose her one remaining child. On top of that, the cinematography is first-rate, with some stunning sunset shots and silhouettes set against the backdrop of rural America. And despite some off-kilter bits at the end revolving around Jody getting lost on the river and being found by a ship, "The Yearling" is a solid and heart-warming film that has earned its place among the top Hollywood classics.
- Michael27-1
- Aug 14, 2005
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $4,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 8 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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![Gregory Peck, Claude Jarman Jr., and Jane Wyman in The Yearling (1946)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjI0NjVhMDMtZTZmMy00MWYwLTkyMjQtMDEyMmVkYmJmOTQ5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjE5MjUyOTM@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg)