The Earthling (1980)

The Earthling: Directed by Peter Collinson. With William Holden, Ricky Schroder, Jack Thompson, Olivia Hamnett. Diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer, Patrick Foley has returned to his native Australia to die in the peace and quiet of the wilderness. His simple plan is complicated, however, when he meets a young boy who has just lost his parents.

“u0026quot;Cuteu0026quot; he may have been, but Rick(y) Schroder — before puberty — was one of filmdomu0026#39;s most sensitive and skillful child performers. And William Holden, far from being one to u0026quot;add tou0026quot; a list of modern man-and-boy bonding stories, in this 1980 film virtually founded the category.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIu0026#39;ve seen this excellent film three times — always on late-nite TV. Leonard Maltin gives it two-and-a-half stars: u0026quot;OK family drama.u0026quot; Yet, over half of its IMDB viewers rated it a 10. Why on earth hasnu0026#39;t it received wider public acclaim??!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt 62 (this was his next-to-last film), Holden looks like he really is terminally ill. The cockles of his heart never are warmed to the kid (that we can see, anyway).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHeu0026#39;s bone-weary, making his painful way to the ruins of his long-deserted family home to die, But this squalling, spoiled, self-centered kid is stranded. The man would like to ignore him, but the boyu0026#39;s obvious vulnerability wonu0026#39;t let him. And as his strength fails, he could use some help himself.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo they make their way, conjointly, to his dying-place. And on the way, he tries to teach the boy how to survive in the wilderness — for the child will soon be utterly alone — and reach civilization.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHow and what he teaches him is fascinating — both practical and subtle. He plunges the city-bred boy from pampered narcissism to basic verities and respect for life and Life. In turn, the childu0026#39;s unevadable need forces this bitter, used-up man to dredge up his humanity and, with his last energy, give it out; to do the right thing.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBoth of them change and grow. And itu0026#39;s quietly beautiful. In a sense, this is a coming-of-age film with no age boundaries. Maybe itu0026#39;s a u0026quot;coming-into-humanityu0026quot; film. See it. And grasp again (or for the first time) the dignity and beauty that humanness can be.”