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Ashlyn Nance

Professor Sutton

MRTS 3610

12 October, 2022

Wild America: An Underrated Coming of Age Story

When thinking of coming of age stories, what comes to mind? Stand By Me (1986) and

The Sandlot (1993) are perhaps some of the most well known and for good reason. They

uniquely express the challenges and bonds you face while growing up while going on a life

changing journey to achieve a goal. Many classic coming of age tales revolve around this

narrative, but none have captured the sense of danger, nostalgic charm, and familial drama that

comes with adolescence the way Wild America (1997) has. What truly sets this film above the

rest is the fact that it is grounded in reality. Most coming of age movies are works of fiction, but

this film tells the story of renowned wildlife videographer Marty Stouffer setting out across

America with his first professional camera. This has been one of my favorite movies for as long

as I can remember and deserves more recognition than it received. With its witty and charming

sense of humor, strong familial themes, and an overall boldness for its time, Wild America is the

perfect coming of age movie that our generation needs, instilling the thirst for adventure and

nature in a society that has forgotten the beauty and importance of dangerous creatures in our

depleting wilderness.

There are certain movies in your lifetime that change you as a person, and for me, Wild

America is one of those movies. It’s been one of my all time favorites for as long as I can

remember, and I believe it’s the best underrated classic for this genre. It’s an obscure, heartfelt

blockbuster from the 90’s that is fundamentally about the importance of family and seeking

adventure: the most basic building blocks for a coming of age film. Rather than focusing on
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Marty Stouffer, the “main character” of his own origin story, the movie is narrated by the

youngest of the three brothers, Marshall. This key decision is what sets this film above the rest,

because we are seeing through the eyes of the underdog who stowed away on his older brother’s

trip to film dangerous animals. As the youngest myself, it was easy to connect with this

character, especially when the movie begins with Marshall running for his life through the

woods, only to be caught by his older brothers. They often film experiments and stunts of

themselves, usually at Marshall’s expense. By establishing early on that he is picked on and left

out of things, we develop sympathy for this character. It makes it more satisfying when we see

him scrub Marty and Marshall’s toothbrushes in the toilet and fill their canteens with water

downstream from where they were going to the bathroom. Most characters in these types of

movies are mischievous and cunning while still maintaining their unique charm and innocence.

A helpful trope within the coming of age genre is to make it a road trip film. By seeing the

characters physically move from point A to point B, we should also be seeing them grow and

face their own faults. The trip that they go on must fundamentally change them as a person,

otherwise what was the reason for the journey? Because the movie is based on true events, it was

pivotal for the characters to come off in a realistic and compelling manner, making even the

supporting and minor characters memorable. Leon feels very down to earth and an utter delight

to be around. He is a classic role model as well as a comic relief character. On the other hand,

there is DC, who is your average redneck jerk who shows no regard or sympathy for anyone

other than himself, and it is made abundantly clear that you shouldn’t like this character. Even in

movies with no main antagonist, a rival or bully of some kind must be introduced in opposition

to the protagonists. Similar characters that come to mind are the Scut Karkus in A Christmas

Story (1983) and Martin from Love, Simon (2018). Such characters serve as a challenge for the
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protagonists to face and eventually stand up to once they’ve grown as a person. Every genre has

a particular end goal or purpose, according to Barry Grant. He explains how genre films tend to

break societal structures down into smaller, more simple dynamics that are easier for the

audience to swallow. Wild America does so with a flawless execution, with the main focus being

on the tense bond the brothers share. That is not to say that the film doesn’t also explore other

deep themes, but the importance of family and proving oneself is the driving focus.

Perhaps one of the most important features in a successful coming of age flick is how the

film manages to balance its level of comedy, drama, and action. Adolescence is a confusing and

emotional time, and it is best portrayed through a range of emotions, both good and bad.

Oftentimes we see the main characters in such movies get into a heated argument and turn on

each other, so it is important to establish a strong friendship between these characters and

sprinkle in enough humor to keep the tone light and airy. Tensions undeniably run high between

the brothers, even more so when Martin Stouffer is involved, so it pays off when we see them

bonding or sharing a laugh. After Martin arrives back home, we see the three brothers sleeping

while he works on a plane singing to himself. It is insinuated that this is their version of a

lullaby, and is a comfort for them to fall asleep to, so when the father finishes the song by hiking

one leg and passing gas, we are caught off guard and the scene warrants a bigger laugh. The song

returns towards the end of the movie in a moment of high intensity, and it is the harmony of the

brothers’ singing that lulls the waking bears back to sleep. With one wrong move, they could all

be dead, which makes this moment all the more tense. The movie maintains the joke that it set up

earlier, and we see all three brothers raise their legs in unison, letting one rip inside the cave.

Other than these two instances, the movie tends to avoid overtly dirty or low brow humor, opting

instead for the use of clever lines and expertly executed physical comedy. One of the best scenes
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in the entire film is when the boys reach the alligator tourist stop. This is their first chance at

filming dangerous predators up close, and the unnamed man running the shack is… eccentric to

put it kindly. This “crazy gator man” gives them a graphic retelling of how he lost his dog and

his leg to the very beast they set out to find, going as far as to stab his own thigh to prove his tale

before sending them on their way. His expressions and amount of energy he pours into the

performance makes the entire sequence stand out from the rest of the movie. It is hilariously

unexpected and just uncomfortable enough to make even the most stoic viewers laugh out loud.

As previously mentioned, our main character is particularly fond of pranks, and when two

hippies invite Marty and Mark to a nude beach, they instruct Marshall to watch the equipment.

The soundtrack plays while he gives a long, mischievous look from the camera to the beach

before cutting away. It is a small insinuation that is easy to forget until the end, when they hold

the screening for their film. This commitment to the joke offers a brilliantly subtle gag that pays

off in the biggest due to the subconscious build up to the punchline. Comedy in most coming of

age films, especially in recent years, seem to rely on crass humor that appeals to middle

schoolers rather than young adults, which is why this movie offers a breath of fresh air. The

humor is simple enough for children to enjoy it, yet sophisticated enough to rely of actual wit

instead of fowl language and sexual jokes.

As previously stated, Wild America is one of my favorite movies, and it is where my love

for nature and filmmaking truly began. Every second of this movie is a testament to the love of

the wild that filmographer Marty Stouffer shared with the world. The dangerous and unexpected

nature of the wild is what makes the outdoors such a common location/theme within popular

coming of age movies. In Stand By Me, the group of boys face the elements as the scour the

woods in search of a dead body, while in The Kings of Summer (2013) three teenage boys run
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away from home in order to live off the land and “become men.” You are often most in tune with

yourself when surrounded by nothing but nature, which is why it is such an important element in

a coming of age film. This genre typically deals with the exploration of oneself and coming into

your own as a person, so that same level of curiosity and wonder must be extended to the world

around them. By filming with real animals, this movie instills a love and respect for wildlife.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas said multiple times in an interview just how humbling it was to work

with so many bears and the respect he gained by being in the room with something that could kill

him with ease if it so wished. This level of respect and admiration for our wildlife is rare within

my generation, and is exactly the reason why films like these are important. By seeing the story

of a man who started with nothing set out to capture and preserve the last true wilderness in

America, it will hopefully inspire others to care more about the world around them. Not only in a

broad sense, but that it can encourage them to form a personal connection of their own with the

wildlife around them in their everyday life.

There will always be the kingpins of this young adult genre of film, but Wild America

deserves its place among them. It is a beautiful, heartfelt story about family, adventure, and

identity, which are the key pillars for a coming of age movie. The clever wit and genuine

characters ground the story in reality, much like the end credits, which are full of footage shot by

Marty Stouffer of animals goofing off and performing amazing stunts. The movie as a whole is

an utter viewing pleasure and is fun in its purest form. It is a movie that leaves the audience

feeling inspired, happy, and rejuvenated, which only the best coming of age stories can manage.
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Works Cited

Dear, William, director. Wild America, Warner Bros., 1997, Accessed Oct. 2022.

Grant, Barry Keith. “Film Genre Reader IV.” Film Genre Reader IV, 2012,

https://doi.org/10.7560/742055.

“Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Devon Sawa, & Scott Bairstow ‘Wild America’ 1997 - Bobbie

Wygant Archive.” YouTube, YouTube, 2 Sept. 2022,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW9uu9Fdnvc&t=741s.

“Jonathan Taylor Thomas Promotes His Movie ‘Wild America’ in 1997.” YouTube, YouTube,

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Dec. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWeCvYqws9c&t=399s.