My Side of the Mountain

Sam (Ted Eccles), a devoted fan of Thoreau and a budding scientist, is angry at his father for canceling a trip to the mountains so he could work on a set of experiments studying algae. Inspired by Thoreau and full of fiery self-reliance, Sam decides to make it on his own and runs away to the wilderness to live off the land for a year and continue his scientific studies. Accompanied by his tame raccoon, Gus, Sam builds a home for himself in a hollow tree and, after a trip into town to glean tips from the librarian (Tudi Wiggins), tames a falcon he names Frightful. But after spending some time with a wandering folk singer, Bando (Theodore Bikel), and facing the harsh reality of a winter living in a tree, Sam starts to question his decision to remain alone and starts to long for the companionship of friends and family.