Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302098501
Format: Color
ISBN: 6302098505
Label: 20th Century Fox
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 1998-01-01
Running Time: 107
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Coincidence throws Mij the otter and Graham Merrill (Bill Travers) the computer worker together on a busy London street. What transpires from this chance meeting is an epiphany that leads to the complete upheaval of Graham's life. Evicted from his city flat thanks to the antics of his newly acquired, mischievous otter, Graham embarks on a train journey to the Scottish Highlands. Suffice it to say that trying to smuggle Mij onboard as a "diving terrier" is not successful. When the pair finally arrives in Scotland, they fall in love with the countryside and a dilapidated cottage by the sea. Fate introduces Graham to the town's animal-loving doctor (Virginia McKenna), and an enduring friendship and romance are forged. The photography of both the Scottish Highlands and the antics of Mij the otter in this 1969 movie are truly wonderful--it might just make you reconsider your current digs and friendships. The story (based on Gavin Maxwell's book of the same name) is somewhat formulaic and dated by its romanticism, but enjoyable nonetheless. Slip into an ideal world of simple happiness and celebrate the cyclical nature of life, if only for 106 minutes. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Rating:
Summary: Enjoying playful, beautiful otter until disgustingly shocked!
Comment: I have been looking for good old movies from my 1960's childhood lately. Well, I had never even heard of this movie until I saw it offered here. Being an animal lover and especially fond of otters, when I saw the adorable otter on the cover I immediately ordered it.
Well, I was so upset when that sweet, innocent otter was killed in that horrible way by a very STUPID man!
I would never suggest a child or an adult see this movie! I wish that they would revise it and take out that part up to the end. That was so uneccessary, I cannot even believe that someone thought to put that in this movie, because the movie was so enjoyable up until that shocking, disturbing moment! This was the most disturbing movie, because there was no reason for it. As bad as the Yearling or Old Yeller made me feel, they were bad enough, at least there was some reality lessons in them.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: ring of bright water
Comment: This movie is a classic.
Wonderful to watch by all ages.
Get it an denjoy it as much as I did.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A family-friendly animal/nature film with EDGE
Comment: After the success of the 1966 British film "Born Free," which starred real-life couple Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, is it any wonder that the similarly-themed "Ring of Bright Water" came out a few years later in 1969?

THE STORY: Travers plays a writer in London who is strangely drawn to an otter in a pet store window. After purchasing the animal he decides to leave the city to give them both some much-needed breathing space. They move to desolate coastal Scotland where he fixes up a shack to make it liveable. There they develop a relationship with another animal-lover, a rural doctor played by McKenna. Adventures ensue.

"Ring of Bright Water" is a must for animal/nature fans. The film features a good assortment of animals, although otters are the main item. In addition the picture features some beautiful rural Scotland photography (filmed on location, of course).

Personally, I can relate to the protagonists' love for the otter and other cute & cuddly critters. A family of woodchucks (aka groundhogs) used to live by us until last May and we would get much enjoyment out of watching them, especially each Spring when the mother would have 5-7 cubs. We've become so familiar with woodchucks that we often spot them on our drives in the country. If you know what to look for you'll spot woodchucks almost every day in the Northeast. One day this past August we spotted ten woodchucks in ten minutes (!). But I digress.

"Ring of Bright Water" is a quiet film, a breath of fresh air in this age of special-effects laden extravaganzas. To appreciate it you have to be in the mood for something that glorifies nature and is generally laid-back. The film is certainly family-friendly but, be forewarned, it has edge. This is a good thing, to me at least.

For one thing, there's a sequence where the couple goes out to an island looking for their missing otter (named Mij), who naturally went off looking for a babe. The sequence takes on an ominous vibe with mysterious shots of the ancient landscape.

Other reviewers rightly point out that the film ultimately takes an unexpected dark turn (even though it still ends on a positive note). Some have even given the dvd a low rating for this reason. I defend this "dark turn" for a number of reasons. For one thing it does give the film an edge. By this point in the story things had become a bit lull; something shocking NEEDED to happen.

I don't want to give away the ending so don't read the next paragraph if you haven't seen the film yet.

[SPOILER ALERT!] I found the ending uplifting despite the otter's death; in fact, it delivers quite a few important messages. The message of Mij's death is revealed in the words of the old man who killed him; he states, "Oh, I didn't know it was your pet; I just thought it was an otter." In other words, he killed the beautiful creature for no legitimate reason at all; just because Mij happened by him. This is a tendency of the fallen nature of human beings; it's ignorance & hostility and it must change if this world is to ever improve. Aside from this the ending shows the couple discovering that Mij had a mate and kids. His life begat life; and that life continues despite Mij's death. Another message is that perhaps otters should stay in the wild rather than become our pets; if Mij wasn't a pet he wouldn't have needlessly died the way he did. Yet another lesson is the cold fact of death in this world. Children (and people in general) need to learn and accept the reality of death sooner or later, why not sooner? The film opens the door for parents to discuss this important subject with their kids. It powerfully illustrates how death can happen at any time and can be quite a shock. We all know of friends and loved ones who have died suddenly, without warning, and what a shock it was to deal with. This movie preps us all for this inevitable happening. [END SPOILER].

Bad ending? No way; it's an important and necessary ending.

The film was based on the book of the same name. The ending sort of explains the strange title but IMHO they should have come up with a better title. "Born to Frolic and Swim Free" perhaps. Just joking, but just about anything would be better than "Ring of Bright Water."

Another highlight is the moving acoustic folk song played during the credits, which I assume (from the lyrics) is also titled "Ring of Bright Water." This is a simple yet magnificent & timeless piece, and the singer has a stirring voice.

The film runs 1 hour and 44 minutes.

PERSONAL GRADE: B+

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great, just cut before the shovel drops
Comment: Hey, I agree with you all. I saw it in the theaters as a child and still carry the pain of Mij's untimely demise. But can't we just stop the DVD prior to that moment? It was a gratuitous (if true) moment in the film, and only seems to have traumatized a generation of nature loving children at the turn of the decade (60/70's). So, parents, just watch along with your children and skip or cut before the inevitable chop. Cause if Mij frolicking in the tanks his human friend makes is just as memorable as his gritty death.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Horrible ending!
Comment: I was a kid. My mom took us to the movies. I can recall a fairly charming picture until the horrible death scene at the end. It destroyed any other good memories from the story and my little sister and I wouldn't go to another movie for months. Just a brutal, sad ending that destroyed the movie. Not for children!!!!!!!!

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