Stranded (2002 film)

Stranded

The Greatest Survivor Story of the Year
Directed by Charles Beeson
Produced by Dyson Lovell
Written by Anton Diether
Based on The Swiss Family Robinson 
by Johann David Wyss
Starring Liam Cunningham
Brana Bajic
Roger Allam
Jesse Spencer
Music by Stanislas Syrewicz
Cinematography Ryszard Lenczewski
Editing by David Blackmore
Country United States
Language English
Original channel Hallmark Channel
Release date
  • June 15, 2002
Running time 180 minutes

Stranded is a 2002 television adventure drama film directed by Charles Beeson, based on Johann David Wyss's novel The Swiss Family Robinson. It starred Liam Cunningham, Brana Bajic, Roger Allam and Jesse Spencer.

Plot

David Robinson is being shipped off to a penal colony. His wife and kids are allowed to accompany him. A storm strikes the ship and the family (except for one son, Jacob) are trapped below deck. Jacob is raised by pirates, and the family gets out of the boat and on to land, salvaging as much as they can from the boat, including dogs, chickens, and muskets. They learn to survive and build a shelter on land. Then, Jacob's pirates kidnap Emily, the daughter of a sea-captain. She escapes onto the island and becomes a love interest with Fritz and Ernst. Jacob is reunited with his family during a battle with the pirates over Emily, and she is returned to her father. In the end, the family goes their own ways, some staying on the island, some going home.

Cast

Critical reception

"Do you think in this world you know so much more than Fritz, more than the native, more than the rest of us? What's happening is, this family is growing up!"
- Laura Robinson (Brana Bajic)

The film received positive reviews, with Dan Heaton of Digitally Obsessed saying, "Although I enjoyed the Disney version of Swiss Family Robinson as a small child, its one-dimensional characters quickly become tiresome as an adult. Luckily, Stranded crafts a much deeper story that should please both adults and older kids. Strong acting and well-fleshed characters make this lengthy Hallmark miniseries a worthwhile disc. If you give it a chance, this engaging tale of survival may surprise you".

Film Critic's Christopher Null gave four and a half stars (out of five) saying, "Hallmark has imbued Stranded with the appearance of big budget effects and an authenticity much like Cast Away, and though the Robinsons always had it easy compared to Hanks and Mr. Crusoe (thanks to the ship full of supplies which ran aground on the island with them), their adventure is thankfully, finally, made worth watching".

External links