**Spoiler Reflections** On Stranded and Swiss Family Robinson

Stranded is a true-to-form Hallmark movie. Cliches, predictable plot "twists," and a little preaching are the name of the game. But this movie goes farther than the typical Hallmark movie - it has the nerve to destroy one of my favorite stories of all time.

I grew up watching Disney's version of Swiss Family Robinson. It took a back seat in my affections only to Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, also a Disney movie. The horrifying extent to which the Stranded filmmakers changed the story of Swiss Family Robinson is immediately obvious. The viewer discovers in the very first scene of the movie that the Robinsons are British, not Swiss, and Mr. Robinson is a criminal convicted of refusing to swear allegience to the crown. He's a preacher and he feels his allegience is only due to God. The movie proceeds to further destroy SFR by replacing Francis with two other children, namely, Sarah and Jacob. (Side note: Why two foreign names (Fritz and Ernst) and two English ones (Sarah and Jacob)?) Then Jacob is separated from the rest of the family during the abandonment of the ship and is raised by pirates. Excuse me while I laugh. I had a crush on Fritz from SFR as soon as I was old enough to notice how good looking he was, so I'm glad he's also good looking in Stranded. Unfortunately, his character is lifeless. Ernst is done well, but I still prefer the gangly, nerdy Ernst to this silent, Latin-spouting fellow. Sarah is a near-pointless addition to the family since she is in few scenes and has almost nothing to offer the story. The parents are annoying compared to the ones in SFR, particularly the father. He spends the entire movie scowling (not that he doesn't have reason to scowl) and is an all-around stick-in-the-mud. Finally, the spunky Roberta from SFR has been replaced by an equally spunky Emily, who is unfortunately a terrible actress. (Plus, the dress she wears in her first scene is far too immodest for a respectable young woman of that time.) Not only that, but the sibling rivalry in SFR has been replaced by one-sided jealousy from Fritz.

  

The worst part of the movie was the endless stream of story lines that went nowhere. Mr. Robinson is suspicious of a native man - but four or five scenes later he becomes a trusted friend. Captain Blunt's preference for Lara Robinson is not only stupid, it's entirely pointless, adding absolutely nothing to the story. Mr. Robinson's conflict with Fritz only lasts about four scenes (thankfully). Fritz and Emily's love story is developed in a few short scenes. (Though, once again, I'm thankful for that; the love scenes are pathetic.) Last of all is the tension between Jacob and his family when the pirates capture the family's home. Vastly (and surprisingly) under-dramatized, this tension is allowed to "build" quickly - and comes to a climax before the movie's true climax. That under-cuts the family tension's claim as the main storyline in the movie.

In short, Stranded is a waste of three hours unless you're the type of person who watches pathetic movies in order to laugh at them. If you want to see a good movie about the Robinsons (though probably one that is in no way, shape, or form like the book), take my advice and watch the Disney version. It will save you a lot of pain.