Born Free
Seen it?1966 | 95 min | Adventure, Family, Drama, History
Saturday Specialearly ratingWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (88% on Rotten Tomatoes), it won 2 Oscars and it's still drawing plenty of interest, despite soft box office. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for adventure fans, families and history buffs. If you loved The Lion King or The Jungle Book, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 35 min.
- What might put you off
- No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
- Made in 1966: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
At a national park in Kenya, English game warden George Adamson and his wife, Joy, care for three orphaned lion cubs. After the two larger lions are shipped off to a zoo in the Netherlands, the smallest of the three, Elsa, stays with the couple. When Elsa is blamed for causing an elephant stampede in the nearby village, head warden John Kendall demands the young lion either be trained to survive in the wilds of the Serengeti or be sent to a zoo.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
88% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.8 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 2 Oscars: Academy Awards: Best Original Music Score, Academy Awards: Best Song. Also nominated for 3 Golden Globes and 1 DGA Award. Plus 2 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$4 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 101K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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The Lion King
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Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Saturday SpecialAnother adventure, and a Saturday Special.
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Cast & crew
Directed by James Hill
- Virginia McKennaJoy Adamson
- Bill TraversGeorge Adamson
- Geoffrey KeenKendall
- Peter LukoyeNuru
- Omar ChambatiMakkede
- Bill GoddenSam
- Robert S. YoungJames
- Bryan EpsomBaker
- Geoffrey BestWatson
- Robert CheethamKen