Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful! Emotional, riveting! EXCELLENT!!
Review: This has to be absolutely the BEST movie I've seen in a very long time. It became my favorite when I first saw it years ago.
It's taken me a long time to think to even look for it here.
The story is riveting, holds you in to the end, leaves you wanting more. The characters are very believable.
The emotion is so real, you'll find yourself tearing up at times!
The greatest movie to see with your family. Unlike so many others out there. Get it, watch it, gotta have it!
Rating: 
Summary: Really good!
Review: This movie was so good. It was really sweet, and also kept up a good pace (in other words, it didn't drag along sloooooowly...). I think it was mostly made for younger kids (it is a Disney movie, after all), but I'm in my late teens and I enjoyed it. Maybe it's just because I'm a fan of Reese Witherspoon and Ethan Embry. But, fan or not, it's a really good movie that you should check out.
Rating:
Summary: Story of Courage, Hope and Love
Review: A Far Off Place is the sequel to the bestseller by Laurens Van der Post, 'A Story Like The Wind'. Hunters Drift is a farm in Matabeleland (today part of Zimbabwe) It is the home of Pierre Paul Joubert known affectionately by all who live there as 'Ouwa', where European, Matabele and Bushmen live in harmony with each other , and with the great flora and fauna of Africa.
This is before the forces of destruction and death, Marxist terrorists, massacre the whole population of Hunter's Drift , as they carve a path of blood through Southern Africa.
The only survivors are Ouwa's teenage son, Francois, Nonnie, the young daughter of a colonial governor and his Portuguese wife, both murdered by the terrorists and Francois' beloved hunting dog, Hintza. They are joined by a young Bushman, Xhabbo, and his wife, Nuin Tarra. The four young people and brave dog , must pass through bush and desert , to safety , while pursued by the cold-blooded killers. 'A Far Off Place' is a heartwarming story of love hope and courage, and of survival against overwhelming odds. It is about the fine balance between all living creatures.
Not least it highlights the death and suffering caused so many times by those forces of evil that hide behind the slogans of revolution and 'Liberation'.
Rating: 
Summary: ANYONE HEAR OF Nick Roeg's WALKABOUT 1971 ???
Review: How could anyone with half a knowledge of film even warrant this "A FAR OFF PLACE" from being anything but a trite, boring, horrible film and poorly made rip off from the 1971 film WALKABOUT? The original 1971 film story and might I add original novel is "Two children are stranded in the Australian outback and are forced to cope on their own until they meet an Aborigine who helps them across the desert". PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, ignore the horrible film "A Far Off Place" and see the original film made 20 years before. (...)
Rating:
Summary: A Far Off Place
Review: The novel A Far Off Place, by Laurens Van Der Post is a compelling story about courage, friendship, survival and the coming of age of two young kids. Van Der Post had many intents in writing this book. One of his intentions was to share his knowledge of the way of life in Africa, as he once knew it. He wanted to tell of all the discrimination and prejudice that the different tribes show each other. For years, the Matabele people and the Bushman have seen their numbers diminish because of all the persecution that has gone on between the tribes. Another purpose was to show how friendship could help in the worst of situations. The author writes about how, in the face of danger, courage can conquer all. Also, he attempts to teach the readers to respect nature and all that goes with it. The characters in the novel are forced to make a trek across the Kalahari Desert in order to reach safety. While on the journey they demonstrate maturity and resourcefulness. The main character, Francois Joubert, obviously led a very interesting life because the first book was popular enough to make Van Der Post write a sequel.
Laurens Van Der Post got his ideas for the book from his own childhood. He used some of his experiences as a child to write the book. Readers receive an insight into the author's past. Based upon the character's relationships in the book, I assume that he had some good friends in his youth, like Nonnie, Koba and Mopani. He wrote with such extraordinary description, one could clearly see that he enjoyed the topic he was writing about. Although the book does not include any pictures, graphs or tables, they are not needed because of Van Der Post's talent for vivid writing. His wondrous flow of words captivates the reader's heart and soul. The use of the many literary devices in it makes the story come alive.
As much as I took pleasure in reading it some of the vocabulary was difficult for me to understand. In some places of the book I became lost because so many events were occurring all at the once. After reading A Far Off Place I felt compelled to take better care of the environment. The novel taught me life is cruel and full of injustice. By no means was this book boring in any way. I was entertained from the beginning to the end. I would recommend this book to a more advanced reader. I can not wait to read more of his books. This is a classic must read book; two thumbs up. If people knew how good this book was, there wouldn't be a copy left in the library.
Rating:
Summary: A Way of Life
Review: I first read "A Story Like the Wind" and "A Far-Off Place" a number of years ago when, like Francois, I was young and often felt "out of the loop" in the adult world. Laurens van der Post captures perfectly the way of life of a young, sensitive, intelligent person. Time is different, thought is different, emotion is different in a youth compared to the adults around them. Some of us are lucky enough to keep that sense of wonder into our adult lives--for us, these two books remain constant sources of wonder and enjoyment. To spend a few hours engrossed in van der Post's magical storytelling is to visit another world--Francois's world, his way of life. An author who can remove you from your surroundings, introduce you to someone as memorable as Francois, Nonnie, Xhabbo, Nuin-Tara, and yes, Hintza, too, is one to be cherished and re-read over and over again. And, if you're lucky, the re-reading of it is like coming home again.
Rating:
Summary: A great family film
Review: I saw this movie about two years ago! it captured my heart and kept my attention the hole time! the characters are well made and you gotta love the little dog... i had never thought about looking here for this movie... "A far off place" is a must see for all!
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Summary: Great Book!!!
Review: I read A Far Off Place while on a trip to Africa. Wow! I'm hooked on Vander Post! I read A Far off Place before I read A Story Like the Wind. A Far Off Place moves faster - the first book sort of sets the story up and gets the characters ready. Also try Flamingo Feather by Laurens Van Der Post.
Rating:
Summary: A Gem In All Respects
Review: Mikael Salomon's "A Far Off Place" is a marvelous example of how skilled direction and production can turn a good story into a great film. Performances in the major roles are all excellent, and Ethan Embry's portrayal of the disgruntled, fish-out-of-water city boy forced into the wilds of Africa walks a delicate line (between authentic teenage muddle-headedness and just plain obnoxiousness) beautifully. Critics may claim the film is a little two-dimensional, and in fairness, they are right. But by not trying to make the film too grand through obvious artifice, the good performances and great scenery let this film become memorable in a simple, direct way that's very much in harmony with the essence of the story: we don't always get to choose our circumstances, and how we react in those times may literally become a matter of life and death. Two other minor themes help make this a favorite: the Reese Witherspoon character is a great role model for any young girl - sensitive and feminine without being a wimpy or dependent ingrate; and a rare and even-handed portrayal of the firearm as a tool - no better or worse than the purpose to which it is put by a human master.
Rating:
Summary: A-1 MOVIE
Review: When I first saw this movie, I thought it was so cool, to see three determined kids start out on an unthinkable journey across a desert, and make it. I knew I just had to have this movie. It's a great movie for the entire family, which I would like to see more of.
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