The Bear

Set in the wilderness of British Columbia in 1885, The Bear follows a young cub left alone after his mother dies in a fall while searching for honey. He soon crosses paths with a large adult Kodiak bear wounded by hunters, and the two gradually form a bond as the cub learns to survive. Their main threat comes not from nature but from two hunters who track them persistently; one in particular becomes determined to bring down the big bear. The story is told largely from the animals' perspective.

The film was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, his third feature after Quest for Fire (1981) and The Name of the Rose (1986), written by Gérard Brach and produced by Claude Berri. Tchéky Karyo plays Tom and Jack Wallace plays Bill, with Bart The Bear, Youk the Bear and Bozo the Bear appearing as the animals. Made for about 25 million US dollars, the film took roughly 138 million dollars worldwide, a strong return. On IMDb it holds 7.7/10 from 18,810 votes, and on TMDB 7.1/10 from 540 votes, suggesting a well-regarded family adventure whose reputation has held up.