Born to Be Wild (film)
Encyclopedia
Born to Be Wild is a 1995 American family comedy film. The film grossed $3.7 million in the box office.
named Katie which she is teaching to communicate through the use of sign language. When the owner of the gorilla takes her back to become a flea market freak, Rick takes it upon himself to break Katie out and take her on an adventurous journey to get her out of the country.
said the animatronic gorilla looked phony, but concluded "The film has its moments of nutty fun" and "it also has a couple of touching scenes -- if you can get beyond that bogus ape look." Washington Post critic Rita Kempley called it "a heart-yanking family yarn that resembles a simian adaptation of Nell
" and also compared the movie to Free Willy
.
Plot
Rick Heller is a juvenile delinquent who keeps getting himself into trouble. To keep him out of trouble his mother puts him to work cleaning the cage of a female gorillaGorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
named Katie which she is teaching to communicate through the use of sign language. When the owner of the gorilla takes her back to become a flea market freak, Rick takes it upon himself to break Katie out and take her on an adventurous journey to get her out of the country.
Cast
- Wil HorneffWil HorneffWilliam Samuel "Wil" Horneff is an American actor.-Biography:The eldest of four children, his parents own the Robin Horneff Performing Arts Center in Waldwick, New Jersey while his father, Van, also owns a gymnastics mat business. He grew up in Saddle River, New Jersey and attended Bergen Catholic...
as Rick Heller - Jean Marie Barnwell as Lacey Carr
- Helen ShaverHelen ShaverHelen Shaver is a Canadian actress and film and television director.-Early life:Shaver was born and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, a small city located near London, Ontario, with five sisters...
as Margaret Heller - John C. McGinleyJohn C. McGinleyJohn Christopher McGinley is an American actor, most notable for his roles as Perry Cox in Scrubs, Bob Slydell in Office Space, Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Marv in Stone's Wall Street. He has also written and produced for television and film...
as Max Carr - Marvin J. McIntyreMarvin J. McIntyreMarvin J. McIntyre, sometimes billed as Marvin McIntyre is an actor with more than thirty years worth of screen appearances. His credits include:*Fandango *Pale Rider *Silverado *Short Circuit...
as Bob the Paramedic - Peter BoylePeter BoylePeter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Frank Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and as a comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof Young Frankenstein ....
as Gus Charnley - Gregory ItzinGregory ItzinGregory Martin Itzin is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as disgraced U.S. President Charles Logan in the television series 24.-Early life:...
as Walter Mallinson - Titus WelliverTitus WelliverTitus Welliver is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring roles on the television shows Deadwood, Lost, Sons of Anarchy and The Good Wife...
as Sergeant Markle - Thomas F. WilsonThomas F. WilsonThomas F. Wilson is an American actor, writer, musician, painter, voice-over artist and stand-up comedian. He is best known for playing Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy and Coach Ben Fredricks on NBC's Freaks and Geeks.-Early life:Thomas Francis Wilson, Jr. was...
as Det. Lou Greenberg (as Tom Wilson) - Alan RuckAlan RuckAlan Ruck is an American film, stage and television actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Stuart Bondek on Spin City.-Early life:...
as Dan Woodley - Janet Carroll as Judge Billings
- John Procaccino as Ed Price
- Obba BabatundéObba BabatundeObba Babatundé is an American actor of stage and screen, known for his Emmy-nominated performance in the television movie Miss Evers' Boys, a NAACP Image Award-nominated performance in the TV movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and a Tony Award-nominated role for his performance as C.C...
as Interpreter - David Wingert as Gary James
- John PleshetteJohn PleshetteJohn Pleshette is an American actor, perhaps best known for being an original cast member of the long-running primetime television drama Knots Landing playing Richard Avery...
as Donald Carr - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as Katie Gorilla's vocal effects (uncredited)
Reception
Peter Stack of the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
said the animatronic gorilla looked phony, but concluded "The film has its moments of nutty fun" and "it also has a couple of touching scenes -- if you can get beyond that bogus ape look." Washington Post critic Rita Kempley called it "a heart-yanking family yarn that resembles a simian adaptation of Nell
Nell (film)
Nell is a 1994 drama film starring Jodie Foster as a young woman who has to face other people for the first time after being raised by her mother in an isolated cabin. The film was directed by Michael Apted, and was based on Mark Handley's play Idioglossia. The original music score is composed by...
" and also compared the movie to Free Willy
Free Willy
Free Willy is a 1993 family film directed by Simon Wincer, and released by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter as a young boy who befriends an orca whale, named "Willy."...
.