The Man from Snowy River II
| The Man from Snowy River II | |
|---|---|
 Australian DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Geoff Burrowes |
| Written by | Banjo Paterson (poem) Geoff Burrowes (story) John Dixon (screenplay) |
| Produced by | Geoff Burrowes |
| Starring | Tom Burlinson Sigrid Thornton Brian Dennehy |
| Cinematography | Keith Wagstaff |
| Edited by | Gary Woodyard |
| Music by | Bruce Rowland |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Pictures |
Release date | 15 April 1988 |
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Template:Film Australia |
| Language | English |
The Man from Snowy River II is a 1988 Australian drama film, the sequel to The Man from Snowy River. It was released in the United States as Return to Snowy River, and in the United Kingdom as The Untamed.
Reprising their roles from the first film were Tom Burlinson (as "Jim Craig") and Sigrid Thornton (as "Jessica Harrison"), while Brian Dennehy appeared as "Harrison", instead of Kirk Douglas.
Plot
Some years after his dangerous ride down the steep mountain to capture the Brumby herd and regain the Colt from old "Regret", Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson), now with a large herd of mountain-bred horses of his own, returns to his home vicinity to take up with his girl, Jessica Harrison (Sigrid Thornton). She is still smitten with him, but opposition from her father (Brian Dennehy) remains as resolute as ever. Further, she also has a rich would-be suitor endeavouring to court her, Alistair Patton (Nicholas Eadie), son of the banker from whom Harrison is seeking a large loan. Before he returns from Harrison's property to his home, Jim meets an army officer seeking quality horses for the remount service on a regular basis.
As the young Patton realizes Jessica's affections remain for Jim, and that she doesn't "give a damn" about him (Patton), he jealously and maliciously recruits a gang to steal Jim's horses. Jim gives chase and in so doing again rides his horse down the steep mountainside. Patton shoots at him; the horse is killed and Jim is injured but manages to recover and resume the pursuit. As Jim had earlier let the wild stallion which led the brumbies loose into the wild again, in a twist of fate, the stallion shows itself from the wild at this crucial moment, and Jim finally trains this horse that has been the enigma of the entire district for decades. As he breaks him in and learns to ride him, they become friends, and together, they catch up to Patton and his gang.
Jessica's father has also relented during this time, seen 'the light' and eventually joins with Jim and his 'rough-rider' friends to hunt down Patton and his gang. Jim Craig gets and wins his man-on-man duel with the chief 'villain', Allistair Patton, and Harrison gives his final approval for Jessica and Jim's alliance and the couple marry.
Cast
- Tom Burlinson as Jim Craig
- Sigrid Thornton as Jessica Harrison
- Brian Dennehy as Harrison
- Nicholas Eadie as Alistair Patton
- Mark Hembrow as Seb
- Bryan Marshall as Hawker
- Rhys McConnochie as Patton Snr.
- Peter Cummins as Jake
- Cornelia Frances as Mrs. Darcy
- Tony Barry as Jacko
- Wynn Roberts as Priest
- Alec Wilson as Patton's Croney
- Peter Browne as Reilly
- Alan Hopgood as Simmons
- Mark Pennell as Collins
Soundtrack
- "Long Way from Home"
- "Man from Snowy River II"
- "By the Fireside"
- "Eureka Creek"
- "Back to the Mountains"
- "Skill at Arms"
- "Jessica's Sonata #2"
- "Pageant at Harrison's"
- "Gathered to the Fray"
- "Alone in the Mountains"
- "Farewell to an Old Friend" — (Now Do We Fight Them)
- "You Should be Free"
- "Closing Credits"
Music note
Bruce Rowland, who composed the music for this film, also composed the music for the first film.
Notes
This film has two alternative endings.
- Jim and Jessica return to his mountain cottage where they are married.
- An extended end to the film (the DVD release gives both) shows Jim and Jessica being married in the town church.
Nominations for the movie
- Nominated for 1988 AFI Award for Best Achievement in Sound
- Nominated for 1989 Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects
Box Office
The Man from Snowy River II grossed $7,415,000 at the box office in Australia,[1] which is equivalent to $13,940,200 in 2009 dollars.