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Whistle Stopper - Dove
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List Price: $14.95
Our Price:
Your Save: $ 14.95 ( 100% )
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Manufacturer: Paramount
Starring: Joseph Bottoms, Deborah Raffin, John McLiam, Dabney Coleman, John Anderson
Directed By: Charles Jarrott
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302374384
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 6302374383
Label: Paramount
Manufacturer: Paramount
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Paramount
Release Date: 1996-04-16
Running Time: 105
Studio: Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: 1974-09
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Chronicle of a real voyage
Comment: While most people seem to dwell on this film's purpose as a motion picture, it may help to think of it more as a illistrative documentary, albeit a highly fictionalised one. The drawbacks in this are that the true 1965-1970 story is too often obscured and altered, and for only cheap gains. Graham did NOT set fire to his boat; he (almost) abandoned it. He changed boats in the BVI (but that's just too complicated for any movie). The first boat was not sold in Ecuador... and it goes on. We do see more of Patti Rattertree, such as her hitchhiking across the Outback which is not covered in the book, and how she kept herself in paying work along the way. But Graham DID shoot at the shark that ate his cat. I contend that no other movie even comes close to grasping the essence of a young man's solo circumnavigation, a feat which is itself the stuff of legend, and of dreams.
The true gems of this movie are the cinematography and John Barry's haunting musical score, both of which capture the exotic flavour of a global sea voyage. The camera shots are appropriately wide and awesome; the intimate scenes of the little Ranger 23 charging over (real) ocean swells are spine-tingling. The John Barry love song surprisingly sticks wth you (remember he had off from his regular assignment as McCartney and Martin did 1973's Bond film).
The logistics of the moviemaking involved the purchase and shipment of five Ranger 23s to different parts of the world: Hawaii, Fiji, South Africa, Ecuador and California. The ocean-capable 1971-era boat does an acceptable job of approximating Graham's own 1960 Allied Lapworth 24 (despite the movie character correcting a radio report by saying Dove is '23 feet'). Perhaps the worst error is the obviously faked scene of Graham's (second) rigging failure in the Indian Ocean; but then we see actor Bottoms actually handling the out-of-control boat in REAL 10-foot swells, which reminds us that in most cases they really did sail the real boat in the real ocean to make the movie.
The nice thing to remember about this film is in the opening credits: 'Produced by Gregory Peck'. Obviously someone of that stature thought enough of the project to finance it himself. 'The Dove' is, like the voyage it represents on film, only a labour of love.
(When do we get a DVD version?)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Keep Coming Back To It.
Comment:
I hired this movie on video for the first time about 15 years ago. Enjoying this movie so much, it became a regular addition to the tapes I would hire out on a regular basis from the video store.
I had the opportunity to purchase a copy of this film last year. This innocent and entertaining movie is still enjoyed today as much as it was yesterday.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wasted potential
Comment: After many attempts we finally got hold of a brand new copy of The Dove. I wanted so badly to like this film having enjoyed the book so much, but I couldn't even when allowing for the timeframe in which it was made.
Dove could have been told as a romance or as an adventure even both,but the screen play is terrible. The movie fails from the begining in any movie' primary task - to make the viewer care about the main characters. When The Dove tries to be an adventure Joseph Bottoms who looks remarkably like Robin is impressive however most of the film attempts to be a character study of Robin and Bottoms is not up to the task.
Raffkin does a fair job playing Patty and other acters put in solid performances. The musical score by the same talent that wrote born free is very acceptable, but they can't overcome Bottoms' failure and the screenplays defects.
Robin comes across as spoiled and inmature in the extreme and Patty stuck playing his mother more than his lover. It is so sad because it could have been a wonderful film and at times there are glimpses of inspiration, but too few.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Motivation to finish something
Comment: Do you have kids who lack motivation? This is a movie that can open many doors to their learning experience. You can follow up with two books about Robin Graham and his voyage. Finishing this circumnavigation took a lot of courage and guts. He wanted to quit several times, yet stuck with his dream.
Even though the movie is Hollywood, you can use it to help your kids see the world. They can learn what Robin did, that people can be happy without all the glitz of wealth. Plus no one in the movie gets shot, blown up, or abused. You can't go wrong with this movie about a real person who sailed around the world in a very small sailboat. You can climb a mountain in a week, but this took 4 years to complete. It's worth a look.
Customer Rating:
Summary: sail away
Comment: While sappy and saccharin the actors are engaging and the story is compelling (as all sea sagas are to me). Actually i found the clumsey acting part of the innocent charm. I own a Ranger 23 the same boat used in the film ( I believe Graham's real life boat was a 24-footer) so this film is especially wonderful to me. One reviewer summed it up well . A great film for a romantic with a sailing fetish. If you like this read Maiden Voyage by Tanya Aebi. Its both a better sea yarn and a better love story and would make a great film.
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