| Iron Will | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Charles Haid |
| Produced by | Patrick J. Palmer James Ployhar Robert Schwartz George Zepp |
| Written by | John Michael Hayes Djordje Milicevic Jeff Arch |
| Starring | Mackenzie Astin Kevin Spacey David Ogden Stiers August Schellenberg George Gerdes Penelope Windust Brian Cox |
| Music by | Joel McNeely |
| Cinematography | William Wages |
| Editing by | Andrew Doerfer |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Release date(s) | January 14, 1994 |
| Running time | 108 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $21,006,361[1] |
Iron Will is a 1994 family adventure film directed by Charles Haid. The film stars Mackenzie Astin, Kevin Spacey, David Ogden Stiers, George Gerdes, Brian Cox, Penelope Windust, and August Schellenberg.
Contents |
In 1917, Will Stoneman's (Mackenzie Astin) father is killed in a mushing accident leaving Will to care for his family. Needing money for college and to save the family farm in South Dakota, Will decides to travel to Winnipeg, Manitoba to take part in a dog-sled race from Winnipeg to Saint Paul, Minnesota. With the aid of Ned Dodd (August Schellenberg), the young man prepares both physically and mentally for the harsh weather and terrain throughout the race. During the race, Will becomes popular with the newspaper media as reporter Harry Kingsley (Kevin Spacey) tells about Will's strong courage in what he must do.
Much of the film was shot on location in Minnesota mostly along the Lake Superior shoreline as well as Iron Range cities such as Floodwood. Although the race takes place between Winnipeg and Saint Paul, none of the film was actually shot in either city. In fact, the Winnipeg starting point for the race was actually filmed in Duluth, Minnesota near the old historic high school. The Lake Superior Railroad Museum, located in Two Harbors, Minnesota, portrayed the St. Paul train station's finish line. All scenes in which Will goes through the mountain terrain was filmed in Montana since, in reality, there are no mountains in Minnesota.
Although the story of Will Stoneman is completely fictional, the character was loosely based on the exploits of Albert Campbell, who won the 1917 race from Winnipeg to Saint Paul, and Fred Hartman, the American hope in the race. According to Campbell, he won the race to fulfill his father’s dying wish made just two weeks before the race.