I have never read the book, but I have watched this film several times. It is a wonderful story about a young boy who makes a poor decision that affects another young boy and his family in a big way. It contains valuable Christian messages of the importance of forgiveness, honesty and redemption.
I am not sure which film user "ksneath" watched, but there is no synthesized music whatsoever in this film. Perhaps they confused the sound of a bass guitar and simple drums with a synthesizer. They could have chosen a better score, but I did not find the music distracting any more than other late 70's early 80's scores. However, ksneath suggests that the film would have been better with no soundtrack at all, and I would agree.
User "rabbitmoon" does not seem to be able to recognize that this story was written in a different time. Even as late as the film was created, in 1980, the times were still different. I was seven years old in 1980 and the interaction between the young boy and the old wood carver were accurate depictions of similar relationships that I had with elders near me.
Rabbitmoon takes umbrage with the fact that the old man confessed to having robbed a bank many years ago. What the user seems to miss is the fact that the old man confesses his crime to the boy in order to teach him a lesson about right, wrong, restitution and redemption. This is a Christian film and such themes are the heart of the Gospel; forgiveness and salvation for sinners (i.e. people who have made very bad decisions). Moses was a murderer as was Paul (Saul), the hunter of Christians before his conversion.
There were two old men in my neighborhood that I spent a great deal of time with. They both taught me things about working with wood and I had spent much time in their basement shops or back yards; even going to lumberyards with them. I knew one by his last name and I didn't know the other man's name and my parents never met either of them, but they knew that I was spending time with them. I was seven or eight years old when I met those men.
The old man in the film was a mentor and friend to the boy and their interactions were completely appropriate. It can only be interpreted otherwise by younger people who have no memories of those more innocent times.
I am not sure which film user "ksneath" watched, but there is no synthesized music whatsoever in this film. Perhaps they confused the sound of a bass guitar and simple drums with a synthesizer. They could have chosen a better score, but I did not find the music distracting any more than other late 70's early 80's scores. However, ksneath suggests that the film would have been better with no soundtrack at all, and I would agree.
User "rabbitmoon" does not seem to be able to recognize that this story was written in a different time. Even as late as the film was created, in 1980, the times were still different. I was seven years old in 1980 and the interaction between the young boy and the old wood carver were accurate depictions of similar relationships that I had with elders near me.
Rabbitmoon takes umbrage with the fact that the old man confessed to having robbed a bank many years ago. What the user seems to miss is the fact that the old man confesses his crime to the boy in order to teach him a lesson about right, wrong, restitution and redemption. This is a Christian film and such themes are the heart of the Gospel; forgiveness and salvation for sinners (i.e. people who have made very bad decisions). Moses was a murderer as was Paul (Saul), the hunter of Christians before his conversion.
There were two old men in my neighborhood that I spent a great deal of time with. They both taught me things about working with wood and I had spent much time in their basement shops or back yards; even going to lumberyards with them. I knew one by his last name and I didn't know the other man's name and my parents never met either of them, but they knew that I was spending time with them. I was seven or eight years old when I met those men.
The old man in the film was a mentor and friend to the boy and their interactions were completely appropriate. It can only be interpreted otherwise by younger people who have no memories of those more innocent times.