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player ready...As a sucker for dog-sled movies-well, why not?-I have to say that “Iron Will” notably pulls its own weight. An old-fashioned, sometimes poignant family adventure story, it certainly has all the right ingredients: a doggedly determined, callow protagonist; an insidious villain; a cynical (what else?) newspaperman, and a pack of loyal, spirited canines. It is also set in 1917, which means it avoids the political correctness that sabotaged “Free Willy.”
When a South Dakota farmer, Jack Stoneman (John Terry), hears about a 522-mile sled race from Winnipeg to St. Paul, his ears perk up. But he is killed in an accident, prompting his college-bound son, Will (Mackenzie Astin), to take on the race (not exactly an original idea here-and it took three writers to come up with it). The $10,000 prize, he figures, will pay for college as well as the upkeep of the farm. Understandably, his mother (Penelope Windust) balks: “I just lost a husband. I won’t lose a son.”
But she gives in, and Will has only a month to prepare, under the tutelage of the Lakota Indian farm hand (August Schellenberg), who dispenses homemade medicines as well as such advice as “Run with the moon-embrace the darkness.” Never trust anyone, he adds, except your dogs.
Taking the train to Winnipeg with his animals, Will discovers he doesn’t have enough money for the late-registration fee, but is bailed out by an opportunistic newspaperman (Kevin Spacey), who sees the kid as a hot story and a way for himself to get back in favor on the paper. (His pieces are loaded with cliches, which may be a reason his writing regularly lands in the back pages.)
Will has to compete not only against loneliness, brutal wind chills and frostbite, but also against tough pros from Quebec, Norway and Iceland as they take on what one calls “the meanest stretch of land that God has ever put together.” The meanest entrant, surprisingly, is a Swede, who cackles with the best of them and even resorts to messing with the young man’s dogs, the rotter. (Normally in these films, one would expect the resident meanie to be a Bluto-type named Frenchie who hisses threats like, “By gar, I feex you good now!”)
The son of Patty Duke and John Astin, Astin gives an energetic, appealing performance as the young hero, who becomes “America’s hope,” while David Ogden Stiers (“M+A+S+H”) does well as the magnate-type sponsor of the event, who follows the race in the comfort of his private railroad car. Spacey has been given the thankless role of the jaded journalist/surrogate older brother who not only casts Will into an American legend but has to field lines like, “Don’t get soft on me now, kid.”
Based on an actual historic race, the whole thing is about dreams, of course, and individual courage and American know-how. It’s also about journalistic hype and cant. (Isn’t there anyone in this business who’s sincere and honest?) The ending is beyond hokey, with the crowd ludicrously getting into the action.
Written by John Michael Hayes, Djordje Milicevic and Jeff Arch and directed by Charles Haid-best known for playing Renko on “Hill Street Blues”-“Iron Will” is a solid meat and potatoes film. Like the land itself, there are no frills, and the cinematography by William Wages is commendable. But, someone should tell the filmmakers that there probably weren’t any big mountains outside of St. Paul, even in 1917.
”IRON WILL”
(STAR)(STAR) 1/2
Directed by Charles Haid; screenplay by John Michael Hayes, Djordje Milicevic and Jeff Arch; photographed by William Wages; production designed by Stephen Storer; edited by Andrew Doerfer; music by Joel McNeely; produced by Patrick Palmer and Robert Schwartz. A Walt Disney release; opens Friday at Water Tower, Webster Place and outlying theaters. Running time: 1:49. MPAA rating: PG. Some violence.