The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Stephen Sommers

Writers (WGA):

Mark Twain (novel)
Stephen Sommers (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 April 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

They set off in search for freedom and discovered the adventure of a lifetime!

Plot:

Huckleberry Finn, the half-literate son of a drunk, runs away from home and follows the Mississippi River with an escaped slave named Jim...

Plot Keywords:

Con | River | Mississippi River | Slave | Reward

Cast

Elijah Wood	...	Huck Finn
Courtney B. Vance	...	Jim
Robbie Coltrane	...	The Duke
Jason Robards	...	The King
Ron Perlman	...	Pap Finn
Dana Ivey	...	Widow Douglas
Anne Heche	...	Mary Jane Wilks
James Gammon	...	Deputy Hines
Paxton Whitehead	...	Harvey Wilks
Tom Aldredge	...	Dr. Robinson
Laura Bell Bundy	...	Susan Wilks (as Laura Bundy)
Curtis Armstrong	...	Country Jake
Mary Louise Wilson	...	Miss Watson
Frances Conroy	...	Scrawny Shanty Lady
Danny Tamberelli	...	Ben Rodgers (as Daniel Tamberelli)
Denman Anderson	...	Book Worm
Mickey Cassidy	...	Bully
Alex Zuckerman	...	Joe Rodgers
Marion Zinser	...	Levi Bell (as Marian Zinser)
Renée O'Connor	...	Julia Wilks
Leon Russom	...	Shanty Lady's Husband
Garette Ratliff Henson	...	Billy Grangerford
Richard Anders	...	Col. Grangerford
Elaine Fjellman	...	Miss Sophie Grangerford
Janet Shea	...	Mother Grangerford
Jay R. Unger	...	Sirus
Dion Anderson	...	Sheriff
Paul Kropfl	...	Campfire Man
Mark Allen Branson	...	William Wilks
John Henry Scott	...	Abe Turner
Hoskins Deterly	...	Curmudgeon
Mike Watson	...	Joe Turner
Gary Lee Davis	...	Fighting Man #1
Ben Scott	...	Fighting Man #2 (as Ben R. Scott)
Russell Paul Parkerson	...	The Fishing Boy
Kimberly Latrice Hall	...	Louise
Paul Dewees	...	Auctioneer
Evelyn B. Bunch	...	Jingo Lady
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cam Clarke	...	Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Kevin Young	...	Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Stephen Sommers

Writing credits (WGA)
Mark Twain		(novel)
Stephen Sommers		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Baldecchi	....	co-producer
Barry Bernardi	....	executive producer
Laurence Mark	....	producer
Llewellyn Wells	....	associate producer
Steve White	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
Janusz Kaminski

Film Editing by
Bob Ducsay

Casting by
Mary Goldberg

Production Design by
Richard Sherman

Art Direction by
Randy Moore

Set Decoration by
Michael Warga

Costume Design by
Betsy Heimann		(as Betsy Faith Heimann)

Makeup Department
Coree Lear	....	key makeup artist
Vicky Phillips	....	key hair stylist
Darlene Brumfield	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Mitch Gates	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Llewellyn Wells	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Howard Ellis	....	first assistant director
Darryl Frank	....	second second assistant director
Kevin Barry Howe	....	second assistant director
Greg Michael	....	second unit director

Art Department
Elizabeth M. Burhop	....	art department coordinator
Steve Grodt	....	key swing
Nicola Hewitt	....	set dresser
Keith Neely	....	set designer
Paul Oliver	....	scenic artist
Michael Reinhart	....	construction coordinator
Byron Scott Thomas	....	property master (as Byron Thomas)
Lou A. Trabbie III	....	lead man
Keith Walters	....	assistant property master
Lauren York	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Steve C. Aaron	....	production sound mixer (as Steve Aaron)
Rick Ash	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ed Bannon	....	sound editor
Jeff Cannon	....	second boom operator
Richard Corwin	....	sound editor
Ed Fassl	....	sound editor (as Edward Fassl)
Marilyn Graf	....	foley mixer
David Hagberg	....	sound editor (as David Lee Hagberg)
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Philip A. Hess	....	sound editor
William Hooper	....	foley artist
William Hooper	....	sound editor
Fred Judkins	....	supervising sound editor
Doc Kane	....	adr mixer
Ossama Khuluki	....	foley artist
Randy Pease	....	boom operator
Robert L. Sephton	....	sound designer (as Robert Sephton)
Robert L. Sephton	....	sound editor (as Robert Sephton)
Mark A. Tracy	....	assistant sound editor
Christopher T. Welch	....	sound editor
Dean A. Zupancic	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Michael Arbogast	....	special effects assistant (as Michael N. Arbogast)
Roy Arbogast	....	special effects coordinator (as Roy H. Arbogast)
Bill Lee	....	special effects assistant
Jesse Wayne	....	keel boat driver
Erick Brennan	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Dustin Courtney	....	stunts
Jeff Danoff	....	stunts
Gary Lee Davis	....	stunts
Ousaun Elam	....	stunts
Marian Green	....	stunts
Johnny Hock	....	stunts (as John Hock)
Mike H. McGaughy	....	stunts (as Mike McGaughy)
Larry Nicholas	....	stunt double
Walter Robles	....	stunts (as Walt Robles)
Ben Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Ben Scott	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunts
R.L. Tolbert	....	stunts
Greg Walker	....	stunts
Mike Watson	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
David Blood	....	electrician
Marek Bojsza	....	electrician
John Bramley	....	still photographer (as J. Bramley)
Murray K. Campbell	....	gaffer
Jeffrey R. Clark	....	first assistant camera
Steve Drake	....	grip
Scott Fawley	....	grip
Mauro Fiore	....	camera operator
Jarek Gorczycki	....	best boy electric
Paul Howard	....	electrician
John Knight	....	key grip
Steven Meizler	....	second assistant camera
Joe A. Ponticelle	....	second assistant camera
Charles Seabrook	....	grip
Angelo Louis Suasnovar Jr.	....	best boy grip
Kevin Whitlow	....	dolly grip
Rocky W. Ford	....	grip (uncredited)
Wells A. Smith	....	key rigging grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Amy Lippens	....	casting associate
Lisa Parks	....	extras casting
Anne Massey	....	casting: Natchez (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Patricia K. Armagast	....	set costumer
Mary Claire Hannan	....	set costumer
Joan Thomas	....	costume supervisor
Dana Wright	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Peter Heinemann	....	assistant editor
Kelly Matsumoto	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation
Lee De Carlo	....	score mixer
Michael Dittrick	....	music editor
Jack Eskew	....	orchestrator
Ken Johnson	....	music editor
Steve Livingston	....	music editor
Chris McGary	....	assistant music editor
Daniel J. Johnson	....	music editor (uncredited)
Blake Martin Moulin	....	assistant music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dean Curtis Black	....	transportation captain
Edward Flotard	....	transportation coordinator
Stanley Robinson	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Guy Adan	....	unit publicist
Petra Alexandria	....	assistant: Mr. Mark
Ann Blessing	....	adr voice
Francie Brown	....	dialect coach
Samuel L. Cauthen	....	animal wrangler
Sylvie Chesneau	....	script supervisor
June Christopher	....	adr voice
Cam Clarke	....	adr voice
Robert Clarke	....	adr voice
Maureen 'Mo' Crutchfield	....	assistant production accountant
Elizabeth Dollarhide	....	production assistant
Ann Dunsford	....	assistant production coordinator (as Ann Ashby Dunsford)
Jenny Fitzgibbons	....	production accountant
Robbie Goldstein	....	location manager
Judith Kahn	....	title designer
Lisa Lynn Kearsley	....	production coordinator
Alexandra Koch	....	assistant: Mr. Bernardi and Mr. Wells
Teddy Lee	....	key set production assistant
Jim Lipman	....	marine researcher
Gary Lowe	....	marine boat coordinator
Jon Mallard	....	production assistant
Gina Matthews	....	assistant: Mr. Baldecchi
Sandra McNeil	....	studio teacher (as Sandra J. McNeil)
Brian Rankel	....	assistant: Mr. Mark
Paige M. Sibley	....	assistant location manager
Ben Taunton	....	marine boat coordinator
C. Ransom Walrod	....	marine boat coordinator
Jody Winger	....	title illustration

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Buena Vista International (Sweden) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Pictures
• C.B. Films (Spain)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)

Other Companies

• Alter Image  negative cutting
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• Studio Sea  marine coordination

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
As Aventuras de Huck Finn (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Las aventuras de Huckleberry Finn (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Die Abenteuer von Huck Finn (Germany) [de]
Huckleberry Finnin seikkailut (Finland) [fi]
Huckleberry Finns äventyr (Sweden) [sv]
Le avventure di Huck Finn (Italy) [it]
Les aventures de Huckleberry Finn (France) (video title) [fr]
Oi peripeteies tou Huck Finn (Greece) [el]
Przygody Hucka Finna (Poland) [pl]

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild violence and language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10/7 | Germany:6 | Iceland:L | Peru:PT | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Jefferson Military College - Highway 61, Washington, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Stephen Sommers]the man silhouetted against the fog banging a pot at 39:27 on the DVD.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Huck Finn is walking with Billy Grangerford (at 45:05 to 45:07) to a brick outbuilding where a new slave is chained, you can see the brake lights of a blue mini van in the bottom left quarter of the screen - look to the left of the tree trunk, under the shrubbery.

Quotes:

Huck Finn: You're the best friend I ever had, Jim.
Jim: You're the only friend I ever had...

Movie Connections:

Version of Huckleberry Finn (1931)

Soundtrack:

String Quartet No.17 'Jagd' in B-Flat major, K.458

I've yet to see a perfect film version of Twain's excellent story, but this version is still quite alright

I have read the popular novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain and I found it to be an instant classic and a book definitely worth my time. When it comes to movie adaptations, I've seen very few. The 1993 version titled "The Adventures of Huck Finn" stars a young Elijah Wood as Huckleberry and Courtney B. Vance as Jim and also featured in the cast are some other well-known faces such as Ron Perlman, Jason Robards, Robbie Coltrane, and James Gammon. Overall, with this star-laden cast, the movie is quite entertaining in its own way. Like other films I can think of, it's beginning made little sense and happened a little too suddenly with no room for proper pacing or development. But once this had gone by, I did find myself enjoying the movie quite a bit.

Wood was, and still is a fine young actor and his performance as Huckleberry was noteworthy. I did like Courney B. Vance's performance as Jim and I think he rendered and portrayed the character with absolute perfection. After him, I did like Jason Robards and Robbie Coltrane as the bumbling con artists who call themselves the king and the duke. Ron Perlman was also a good choice to play Huckleberry's deranged father, unfortunately he wasn't given enough screen time to show his quintessential talents for the role and he wasn't quite involved in the story enough as he was in the book.

One thing that did disappoint me was that the screenwriters wrote out the character of Tom Sawyer, probably due to concern of containing too many characters for a 108-minute film. So I can understand the filmmakers' decision and accept it. Maybe the inclusion would have slowed the movie down, maybe not. But all and all, I did very much enjoy "The Adventures of Huck Finn" and although it is not a perfect adaptation of Mark Twain's excellent book, I still enjoyed it.