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Alaska

Play trailer Poster for Alaska PG 1996 1h 49m Kids & Family Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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18% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 44% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Jake Barnes moves his daughter and son to Alaska and earns money by ferrying supplies to locations throughout the state. His daughter loves it, but her brother doesn't, and he can't wait to leave. However, they join forces to look for their father when they learn that he has gone down in an airplane accident. The official search party is called off and Jake is assumed dead, but the children will have none of it, and go off on their own into the Alaskan wilderness.
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Alaska

Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Jun 14, 2022
The vistas are spectacular and some of the suspense is effective, but the story is egregiously dumb, and the polar bear becomes so improbably resourceful that one fully expects it to fly everyone home and then script the sequel. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy Variety Feb 10, 2006
2/5
Beautiful vistas, Thora Birch and a cute bear can't compensate for the routine story and sloppy direction of this old-fashioned family adventure about the courageous efforts of two children to find their missing father. Go to Full Review Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot Feb 25, 2022
3/4
Alaska is one of those "Don't ask. Don't tell'' movies that persuades us to go along with the innocence and simplicity of it all. Go to Full Review Jeffrey Westhoff Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) Mar 18, 2005
2/5
Brandon Judell Critics Inc./America Online Mar 2, 2003
Charlton Heston, though he has saved the Jews and a whole bunch of other distressed folk in the past, along with painting the Sistine Chapel, can't rescue his son's picture. Go to Full Review Brian J. Arthurs Beach Reporter (Southern California) Oct 18, 2002
1/5
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Audience Reviews

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Cameron L @1Kokoroisenough Mar 8, 2025 This movie sucks balls! No likability in anything or anyone. The main boy is the worst main character since Jake Tyler in Never Back Down. Too cartoonish to take it seriously, and it's never entertaining to watch See more Faiz D @RT95588871 Aug 29, 2024 A childhood favorite. See more Jun 26, 2021 Havin' a cute polar bear and some beautiful scenery doesn't do much to save this disaster of a movie from havin' a generic plot, idiotic moments, made-for-television vibe and ABSOLUTELY UNLIKEABLE protagonist. Yes, I'm aware there are two heroes but by "protagonist" I mean the boy 'cause, you know, telling his father to his face that he should've died instead of the mother isn't gonna result in a lot of people taking the hero's side even if the villain ain't no saint himself either. See more steve d @RT35616104 Jul 7, 2020 It's fine family fun but nothing special. See more Feb 26, 2020 THIS MOVIE IS GREAT! DONT LET ROTTEN TOMATOES STEER YOU AWAY FROM THIS HEART WARMING ADVENTURE!!!!! THE CRITICS WHO GAVE THIS A BAD REVIEW DONT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT !!!!!!! See more Dec 29, 2019 Having a cute polar bear and some beautiful scenery doesn't do much to save this movie from having a generic plot, idiotic moments, made-for-TV vibe and absolutely unlikable protagonist. You know, telling the dad to his face that he should've died instead of the mother isn't going to result in a lot of people taking the hero's side even if the villain is no saint himself either. But hey, at least you tried, Charlton Heston's son. See more Read all reviews
Alaska

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Cast & Crew

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Fraser C. Heston

Director

Thora Birch

Jessie Barnes

Vincent Kartheiser

Sean Barnes

Dirk Benedict

Jake Barnes

Charlton Heston

Perry

Gordon Tootoosis

Ben

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Alaska

Alaska (1996) Alaska (1996) Alaska (1996) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Jake Barnes moves his daughter and son to Alaska and earns money by ferrying supplies to locations throughout the state. His daughter loves it, but her brother doesn't, and he can't wait to leave. However, they join forces to look for their father when they learn that he has gone down in an airplane accident. The official search party is called off and Jake is assumed dead, but the children will have none of it, and go off on their own into the Alaskan wilderness.
Director
Fraser C. Heston
Producer
Andy Burg, Carol Fuchs
Screenwriter
Andy Burg, Scott Myers
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Fuchs/Burg, Castle Rock Entertainment, Columbia Pictures
Rating
PG (Peril|Mild Language|Adventure)
Genre
Kids & Family, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 14, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.6M
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Surround, SDDS
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