Old Man (1997)

In this Horton Foote (Tender Mercies) adaptation of the William Faulkner short story, an honorable prisoner put to work by the Red Cross rescues a pregnant woman grasping a tree just feet above the turbulent waters of the 1927 Mississippi flood. Having never manned a boat before and wildly off course, the convict (Arliss Howard, Full Metal Jacket) manages to convey Addie (Jeanne Tripplehorn, The Firm) in what amounts to a rowboat to New Orleans and then back home, while she gives birth and recovers on board their vessel. Along the way the pair manages to befriend Cajuns, conquer crocodiles, and fall quietly in love. This Hallmark Hall of Fame production directed by John Kent Harrison is suspenseful, moving, and, while leisurely paced, ultimately quite rewarding. Its lack of sexual content, violence (except to a few of the aforementioned crocs), or rough talk make it excellent family fare. --Kimberly Heinrichs

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