The movie itself is beautifully filmed. Neil Diamond is wonderfull on the soundtrack. I'm afraid the film lacks substance for all but the most avid Jonathan lover.
Seeing it today in 2008 verse the 70's it was a bit - how can I say? Primitive- but non the less had the impact, the meaning and the sweet simplicity of the movies intent now as it did then...I will forever love Jonathan as much as the book I read back then...if you can over look the fact it doensn't contain all the hype of special effects and enjoy the meaning you'll find it a great movie!!
I had seen this as a teenager and remembered having the album from it which is why I decided to buy the DVD. The memories are good, but the movie seemed a bit boring this time around.
I have been looking for this 1973 Movie to come out in an original format for some time. When it finally hit the streets I purchased one. I'm very pleased. The picture and sound quality is much better than expected. It's a great movie, with a great story.
I liked this book, and I liked this movie. Jonathan is not just any other seagull who makes his living flying near tour boats to see if the passengers might throw off enough garbage for him to live on. Instead, he believes that if will fly a little higher and dive deeper into the water, he can find fresh fish and feed himself on a higher quality diet. Unfortunately, his plan is not met with approval, and he is reprimanded by the elders for his unconventional plan. Why should anyone do anything different from what everyone else has always done? The message is an inspiration to anyone who seeks a better way, though the risks of discovery must also be recognized.
I've looked for a long time to find this DVD. It's been rather scarce, even on VHS. I hope that the date on this DVD (2007), suggests that is will get a wider circulation. I don't know anything about the movie being sued by the author and the musical composer (Neil Diamond) over changes. There's still a lot of worth here.