Trapper’s Tale Gets Stuck in Its Tracks

Pierce Brosnan’s latest film, “Grey Owl,” was directed by Richard Attenborough, who won an Oscar for 1982’s “Gandhi,” and was written by playwright William Nicholson, who penned the screenplay for Attenborough’s 1993 film “Shadowlands.”

“Grey Owl,” however, is not premiering at a theater near you. Rather, Columbia TriStar is unveiling the film on video and DVD ($25).

“Grey Owl” tells the true story of Archie Grey Owl, a Scottish Indian who lived in the wilds of Canada from 1888 to 1938. A scout and a trapper, he later became an environmentalist and conservationist, traveling the world to talk about the need for animal preservation.

The movie is beautiful to look at. But that’s about it. The fact of the matter is that it’s just darn boring. Brosnan, who gives new meaning to the word “wooden,” looks uncomfortable wearing long braids.

Columbia TriStar has pulled out all the stops for the DVD, though. The wide-screen edition includes two making-of features, a Grey Owl trivia game, theatrical and TV trailers, and Internet connections to Grey Owl Web sites.

But the best reason to check out the DVD is the two short films from the mid-’30s starring the real Grey Owl, which chronicle his relationship with Little Brother, a beaver he rescued and raised. The shorts are terrific fun.

The disc also includes two audio commentary tracks: one with producer Jake Eberts and another with Attenborough, who comes across as a kindly old grandfather as he talks about making the film. He and his naturalist brother, David, actually stood in line for hours as youngsters to hear Grey Owl speak in London.

It took Attenborough years to get “Grey Owl” off and running. He originally approached Brosnan before his success as James Bond but found it difficult to raise money for the film because Brosnan wasn’t box office at the time. He praises Brosnan for sticking to the project.

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Rob Reiner’s “The Story of Us” (Universal, $25), which garnered so-so reviews and did so-so business at the box office, is just a so-so DVD. Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer star in this comedy-drama about a couple who decide to separate after 15 years of marriage, although they still love each other.

Presented in the wide-screen format, the disc includes production notes, totally unwarranted promo trailers for two upcoming Universal films, “Story of Us” theatrical trailers and a behind-the-scenes feature in which star Pfeiffer complains about how horrible it was to have to film in Venice!

Director Reiner provides the audio commentary, but he doesn’t offer many delicious tidbits. He talks about the fact that he hired himself to play Willis’ good friend because he needed to keep the film on budget and he was the cheapest actor he could get for the role. Reiner points out that, just like her character, Pfeiffer is extremely well-organized.

Reiner also talks about the fact that he doesn’t like discussing the technical aspects of his films--the camera work and production design--because he wants the focus to be on his characters.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet did a splendid job adapting and directing “The Winslow Boy” (Columbia TriStar, $28), Terence Rattigan’s classic British drama based on a true story about a father who risks everything to prove that his young son did not steal a postal note from a schoolmate.

Starring in this version are Nigel Hawthorne, Rebecca Pidgeon (the real-life Mrs. Mamet) and the always wonderful Jeremy Northam.

The DVD includes a making-of feature, production notes, the trailer and a crisp wide-screen transfer. But the audio commentary is mostly a disappointment. Mamet, Pidgeon, Northam and Hawthorne don’t exactly wax poetic about the production. Mamet even says at one point that he’s being stupid and glib.

Well, that’s not exactly true, but one expects more insight from the man who wrote “American Buffalo” and “Glengarry Glen Ross” than the fact that although it was raining during the filming, they had to make fake rain to keep it consistent between shots.

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Anchor Bay has released two underrated films from 1971 on DVD. The better of the duo is the charming fantasy romance “They Might Be Giants” ($25), starring George C. Scott as a former judge who believes he’s really Sherlock Holmes and Joanne Woodward as a plain psychiatrist whose name happens to be Dr. Watson.

The disc features the wide-screen edition of the movie, which was written by James Goldman and directed by Anthony Harvey, the creative team behind “The Lion in Winter.” There’s also a theatrical trailer, cast bios, a small feature, and commentary by Harvey and film archivist Robert A. Harris. Also included is 10 minutes of footage that was excised by Universal when the film was released.

Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel give charming performances in “Minnie and Moskowitz” ($25), John Cassavetes’ most appealing film--a romantic comedy about a lovelorn museum worker and a hippy-dippy car valet. The digital version includes a wide-screen edition of the film, production bios, a trailer, and delightful commentary from Cassel and Rowlands, whose chemistry on the track is just as great as it is on the screen.