A Cry in the Wild

For the 1972 documentary, see Cry of the Wild.

A Cry in the Wild is a 1990 American coming-of-age survival drama film based on the book Hatchet, written by Gary Paulsen. The film stars Jared Rushton as Brian, Pamela Sue Martin as Brian's mom, Stephen Meadows as Brian's dad, and Ned Beatty as the pilot. It spawned three sequels: White Wolves: A Cry in the Wild II; White Wolves II: Legend of the Wild; and White Wolves III: Cry of the White Wolf.^[1]

A Cry in the Wild
DVD cover
Directed by	Mark Griffiths
Written by	Gary Paulsen Catherine Cyran
Produced by	Roger Corman Julie Corman
Starring	Jared Rushton Pamela Sue Martin Stephen Meadows Ned Beatty
Cinematography	Gregg Heschong
Edited by	Carol Oblath
Music by	Arthur Kempel
Distributed by	Concorde Pictures MGM Home Entertainment
Release date	June 1, 1990 (1990-06-01)
Country	USA
Language	English

Plot

Brian Robeson and his mother stop by a sporting goods store on their way to the airport, where she buys him a package. Later, at the airport, Brian opens the package to find a hatchet inside. During his flight on a single-engine plane with the pilot, they exchange a few words.

The pilot allows Brian to fly the plane, which he enjoys. However, the pilot suffers a heart attack and dies, causing the plane to crash in the wilderness of the Yukon. Now, Brian must survive in the harsh environment while also dealing with his parents' divorce.

Cast

• Jared Rushton as Brian Robeson
• Pamela Sue Martin as Brian's mother
• Stephen Meadows as Brian's father
• Ned Beatty as Jake Holcomb, the Plane's pilot

Release

The film was released June 1, 1990. It aired for the first time on television in the United States on PBS as part of the series WonderWorks.