Tom and Huck
Encyclopedia
Tom and Huck is a 1995
Disney
film starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas
, Brad Renfro
, Joey Stinson, and Rachael Leigh Cook
; it is based on Mark Twain
's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
. In the film, mischievous young Tom Sawyer
witnesses a murder
by the vicious Native American known as "Injun Joe". Tom becomes friends with Huckleberry Finn, a boy with no future and no family, and is forced to choose between honoring a friendship
or honoring an oath, because the town alcoholic is accused of the murder. The movie was released in the U.S. and Canada on December 22, 1995.
) accepting a job from Doctor Robinson (William Newman). Then Tom Sawyer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas
) is running away from home. He and his friends ride down the Mississippi River
on a raft, but hit a sharp rock, which throws Tom into the water. His friends find him washed up on the shore, and Tom finds it was Huck Finn (Brad Renfro
) who carried him to safety. Huck learns of an unusual way to remove warts - by taking a dead cat to the graveyard at night. There they witness Doctor Robinson being murdered by Injun Joe.
The town drunk, Muff Potter (Michael McShane) is framed for the murder; unfortunately, Tom and Huck had signed an oath saying that if either of them came forward about it, they would drop dead and rot. The duo then goes on a search for Injun Joe's treasure map (which he found in Vic Murrell's coffin), so they can declare Muff Potter innocent and still keep their oath. The only problem is, the map is in Injun Joe's pocket. After Injun Joe finds the first treasure, he burns the map and discovers that Tom was a witness to the murder. He finds Tom and warns him that if he ever told anybody what he knew, he will kill him. However, at the time, the entire town thought he was dead, and the friendship between Tom and Huck starts to decline because of the fact that their evidence (the map) to prove Muff innocent, while preserving their oath, is destroyed.
At the trial of Muff Potter, Tom decides that his friendship with Muff is more important than his oath with Huck and tells the truth to the court, which finds Muff innocent of all charges and goes after Injun Joe. As a result, Injun Joe decides to hold up his end of the bargain by killing Tom. Huck becomes angry with Tom for breaking their oath and leaves town. During a festival the next day, a group of children, including Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher (Rachael Leigh Cook
), enter the caves where Tom and Becky become lost. They stumble upon Injun Joe (who was looking for Tom) in McDougal's Cave. He traps them, but Tom and Becky manage to escape. Then they find the treasure and Tom tells Becky to go get her father and bring him back.
Just then, Injun Joe finds Tom, and again tries to kill him. Huck returns to help save Tom, and battles Injun Joe, who then falls into a chasm. The boys reconcile, and are declared heroes by the people. Tom is praised on the front page of the newspaper, and Widow Douglas (Marian Seldes
) decides to adopt Huck Finn.
in Woodville, Alabama
and in the town of Mooresville, Alabama
.
1995 in film
-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
film starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol...
, Brad Renfro
Brad Renfro
Brad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 at age 12 in the lead role of Joel Schumacher's The Client, going on to star in 21 feature films, several short films, and two television episodes during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of...
, Joey Stinson, and Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
; it is based on Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the Town of "St...
. In the film, mischievous young Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer
Thomas "Tom" Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . He appears in three other novels by Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Tom Sawyer Abroad , and Tom Sawyer, Detective .Sawyer also appears in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck and Tom...
witnesses a murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
by the vicious Native American known as "Injun Joe". Tom becomes friends with Huckleberry Finn, a boy with no future and no family, and is forced to choose between honoring a friendship
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
or honoring an oath, because the town alcoholic is accused of the murder. The movie was released in the U.S. and Canada on December 22, 1995.
Plot
The film opens with Injun Joe (Eric SchweigEric Schweig
Eric Schweig is a First Nations actor best known for his role as Chingachgook's son Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans .-Early life:...
) accepting a job from Doctor Robinson (William Newman). Then Tom Sawyer (Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol...
) is running away from home. He and his friends ride down the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
on a raft, but hit a sharp rock, which throws Tom into the water. His friends find him washed up on the shore, and Tom finds it was Huck Finn (Brad Renfro
Brad Renfro
Brad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 at age 12 in the lead role of Joel Schumacher's The Client, going on to star in 21 feature films, several short films, and two television episodes during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of...
) who carried him to safety. Huck learns of an unusual way to remove warts - by taking a dead cat to the graveyard at night. There they witness Doctor Robinson being murdered by Injun Joe.
The town drunk, Muff Potter (Michael McShane) is framed for the murder; unfortunately, Tom and Huck had signed an oath saying that if either of them came forward about it, they would drop dead and rot. The duo then goes on a search for Injun Joe's treasure map (which he found in Vic Murrell's coffin), so they can declare Muff Potter innocent and still keep their oath. The only problem is, the map is in Injun Joe's pocket. After Injun Joe finds the first treasure, he burns the map and discovers that Tom was a witness to the murder. He finds Tom and warns him that if he ever told anybody what he knew, he will kill him. However, at the time, the entire town thought he was dead, and the friendship between Tom and Huck starts to decline because of the fact that their evidence (the map) to prove Muff innocent, while preserving their oath, is destroyed.
At the trial of Muff Potter, Tom decides that his friendship with Muff is more important than his oath with Huck and tells the truth to the court, which finds Muff innocent of all charges and goes after Injun Joe. As a result, Injun Joe decides to hold up his end of the bargain by killing Tom. Huck becomes angry with Tom for breaking their oath and leaves town. During a festival the next day, a group of children, including Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher (Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
), enter the caves where Tom and Becky become lost. They stumble upon Injun Joe (who was looking for Tom) in McDougal's Cave. He traps them, but Tom and Becky manage to escape. Then they find the treasure and Tom tells Becky to go get her father and bring him back.
Just then, Injun Joe finds Tom, and again tries to kill him. Huck returns to help save Tom, and battles Injun Joe, who then falls into a chasm. The boys reconcile, and are declared heroes by the people. Tom is praised on the front page of the newspaper, and Widow Douglas (Marian Seldes
Marian Seldes
Marian Hall Seldes is an American stage, film, radio, and television actress whose career has spanned six decades and who was elected to the American Theatre Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...
) decides to adopt Huck Finn.
Background and production
Parts of the movie were filmed in Cathedral CavernsCathedral Caverns State Park
Cathedral Caverns State Park is located in northern Marshall County, Alabama, southeast of the town of Woodville. The cave is located in Kennamer Cove. The cave is also just from Grant. The cave was originally named Bats Cave. The cave was first developed as an attraction by Jay Gurley in the late...
in Woodville, Alabama
Woodville, Alabama
Woodville is a town in Jackson County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 761.-History:...
and in the town of Mooresville, Alabama
Mooresville, Alabama
Mooresville is a town in Limestone County, Alabama, United States, located southeast of the intersection of Interstates 565 and 65, and north of Wheeler Lake....
.
Cast
- Jonathan Taylor ThomasJonathan Taylor ThomasJonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol...
as Thomas "Tom" Sawyer - Brad RenfroBrad RenfroBrad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 at age 12 in the lead role of Joel Schumacher's The Client, going on to star in 21 feature films, several short films, and two television episodes during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of...
as Huckleberry "Huck" Finn - Eric SchweigEric SchweigEric Schweig is a First Nations actor best known for his role as Chingachgook's son Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans .-Early life:...
as Injun Joe - Charles RocketCharles RocketCharles Rocket was an American film and television actor, notable for his tenure as a cast member on Saturday Night Live as well as for his appearances as the villain Nicholas Andre in the film Dumb and Dumber; as Dave Dennison, the father in Disney's Hocus Pocus.-Early life and career:Rocket was...
as Judge Thatcher - Amy WrightAmy WrightAmy Wright is an American actress. She has appeared in such films as The Deer Hunter, Breaking Away, The Amityville Horror, Heartland, Wise Blood, Stardust Memories, The Accidental Tourist, Hard Promises, Crossing Delancey and Miss Firecracker.Wright is married to actor Rip Torn and the couple...
as Aunt Polly - Michael McShane as Muff Potter
- Marian SeldesMarian SeldesMarian Hall Seldes is an American stage, film, radio, and television actress whose career has spanned six decades and who was elected to the American Theatre Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...
as Widow Douglas - Rachael Leigh CookRachael Leigh CookRachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
as Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher - Courtland MeadCourtland MeadCourtland Robert Mead is an American actor.Mead was born in Mission Viejo, California, the son of Denise and Robert Mead and brother of twin sisters Lauren and Candice Mead. In the 1994 film Dragonworld he played the part of young Johnny McGowan, a young boy who finds a dragon egg on his...
as Cousin Sid - Joey Stinson as Joseph "Joe" Harper
- Blake HeronBlake HeronBlake Heron is an American screen actor. He starred as Marty Preston in the 1996 film Shiloh.-Biography:Heron was born in Sherman Oaks, California...
as Benjamin "Ben" Rodgers - Lanny Flaherty as Emmett: Injun Joe's accomplice.
- Heath LambertsHeath LambertsHeath Lamberts, CM was a Canadian actor.He was born James Langcaster in Toronto, Ontario, where, as a boy, he won singing contests at school, allowing him to perform with Toronto's Opera Festival Association...
as Mr. Dobbins - William Newman as Doctor Robinson
- Bronwen Murray as Cousin Mary
Differences from Book
- The town is named St. Petersburg in the novel and named Hannibal in the movie.
- In the book, Dr. Robinson had no first name, but was named Jonas by Stephen Sommers and David Loughery.
- In the book, the boys are barefooted all of the time, but only Huck is barefoot in the movie, except for the ending.
- The circumstances around the 'whitewash' scene are altered.
- In the novel, Becky has blonde hair. But in the film, she is a brunette.
- In the book, Sid is Tom's half-brother, but in the movie, Sid is Tom's cousin.
- The part where Schoolmaster Dobbins whips Tom is left out in this adaptation.
- In the novel, Doctor Robinson is a fit young man who nearly saves himself from being murdered by InjunIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Joe. In the movie, he is older, and his one feeble attempt to strike back at Joe actually seems to provoke the man into taking his life.
- In the book, they rob Hoss Williams' grave and there is no treasure map, and Dr. Robinson is killed as revenge for not giving Injun Joe food when he was younger, and then having him arrested.
- Injun Joe's accomplice did not have a given name in the novel, but was named Emmett in the film. Also Injun Joe dies in the novel from starving to death in the cave, but in the film he dies after falling into a chasm inside McDougal's Cave.
- It is stated, in the film, that Huck's father served as a highly skilled teacher in throwing a knife for both Injun Joe and Huck. When the character appeared in Mark Twain's novel Adventures of Huckleberry FinnAdventures of Huckleberry FinnAdventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain, first published in England in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, the work is among the first in major American literature to be written in the vernacular, characterized by...
, he was little more than an abusive and lazy alcoholic (though capable in living off the land).