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The Earthling

Play trailer Poster for The Earthling PG 1980 1h 42m Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 1 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer, Patrick Foley (William Holden) has returned to his native Australia to die in the peace and quiet of the wilderness. His simple plan is complicated, however, when he meets Shawn Daley (Ricky Schroder), a young boy who has just lost his parents in an accident, and takes him under his wing. Located far from any civilization, Patrick continues on his mission, but decides to teach Shawn the skills that he'll need to survive after his mentor is dead.
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The Earthling

Critics Reviews

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Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The melancholy disease film set somewhere in the wilderness of Australia was a box office bomb despite the star power of William Holden. Rated: C+ May 10, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Very good family movie here. Ricky Schroder was amazing in it I highly recommend it, James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas, June 14, 2023. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/15/23 Full Review Audience Member An Australian made-for-TV movie that tells a story of friendship and survival William Holden and Ricky Schroder are two loners that find each other amidst tragedy Patrick Foley has been a drifter his whole life and after 40 years he's decided to return home, although against everyone's judgments he wants to spend the remainder of his days in the vast wilderness Shawn is a young boy vacationing with his parents; an accident kills them both and the boy is left alone in the Australian outdoors So what's Patrick to do about the child when he himself won't return to the civilized world? Teach him to survive the inhospitable environment Foley acts like a surrogate father for this boy even if he wants none of his company and it takes a long while to warm up to one another If a man ain't thinking about staying alive he's slowly dying, we all die someday but until then we fight to stay alive, we shouldn't ever be ashamed of love just show it Almost every frame of this is wonderful to look at; it's like there isn't a single moment where wildlife isn't thriving next to the lush landscapes of the Australian outback There's also a few peaceful moments where we see Patrick's own secluded paradise away from the rest of the world The ending I gotta say is very heartbreaking but at the same time is a great moment of character growth We can still make it on our own if we just try Every once in a while it's nice to have a film break away from the outside society of normalcy and seek out some much needed solitude Almost nothing else matters but a journey of discovery within us all even teaching us stuff we would not normally consider I was moved by the two performers and in tears focusing on a smaller scale story saying anyone can make it on their own This is a great TV movie that deserves more attention Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review neil v Great movie. An emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, I cried, I watched, I loved it. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This film, released in 1980, has one foot in the world of 70's gritty realism and one foot in the world of 80's sentimentality. The blend works, because the writing, acting, directing and editing are so good. Making the character of Foley (William Holden) a disillusioned, cantankerous old man was essential to the film. Had he been kindly and paternal, the film would have turned out twee and forgettable. I saw this film on an airplane flight (not a great choice for a captive audience on a plane, but I'm grateful for it) when I was about 10, and though I was young, I never forgot it. Thirty years later, it still holds up. The ending moved me almost to tears. It's a monument to a time when filmmakers were still permitted to depict relationships that were complex and characters that you might learn to like with time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Very much an Australian Film that just came and went in the cinemas which is shame since it was an exceptional film. The story of a US man wanted to hike the Blue Mountains NSW for the last days of his life & stumbles across this young boy who tragically lost both his parents to accident hours before being found. The beauty of the film is the relationship they develop the old man teaches all he can to the boy & the boy encourages him & gives him hope. It's a tender & touching film that boasts some stunning shots of NSW Bushland also. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I didn't like it as much as WALKABOUT, but worth a watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Earthling

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer, Patrick Foley (William Holden) has returned to his native Australia to die in the peace and quiet of the wilderness. His simple plan is complicated, however, when he meets Shawn Daley (Ricky Schroder), a young boy who has just lost his parents in an accident, and takes him under his wing. Located far from any civilization, Patrick continues on his mission, but decides to teach Shawn the skills that he'll need to survive after his mentor is dead.
Director
Peter Collinson
Producer
Elliot Schick, John Strong
Screenwriter
Lanny Cotler
Production Co
Filmways Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 2, 2020
Runtime
1h 42m
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