Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventure

Daniel Hackett is a boy whose family farm is threatened by J.P. Stiles, a ruthless land baron who wants the property for himself. After Stiles gravely wounds Daniel's father, Jonas, the family faces the loss of both their home and their community. Reluctant to stay on a farm he has never liked, Daniel rows out onto a lake to think, falls asleep, and wakes in the Old West alongside legendary figures Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, John Henry and Calamity Jane. These tall-tale heroes help him confront the same kind of villainy he faces back home, until Daniel finds the courage to stand up to Stiles and rally his neighbors against the land grabbers.

Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, the film followed National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Benny & Joon in his filmography and arrived between them and later titles such as Diabolique and The Avengers. Robert Rodat and Steve Bloom wrote the screenplay, with Joe Roth and Roger Birnbaum producing for Walt Disney Pictures and Caravan Pictures. Patrick Swayze plays Pecos Bill, Oliver Platt is Paul Bunyan, Roger Aaron Brown is John Henry, Nick Stahl leads as Daniel, and Scott Glenn and Stephen Lang appear as Stiles and Jonas.

Made for a budget of 32 million dollars, the film took in roughly 11 million dollars worldwide, a return well below its cost. On IMDb it holds 5.9 out of 10 from about 4,700 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.2 out of 10 from a much smaller base of 91 votes, indicating modest and limited audience approval.