Alaska
Quincy Air Service to Super Cub nine-zero-niner Tango, do you copy?
This is zero-niner Tango, go ahead.
Did you drop the hikers off in Denali? - Roger that, Charlie.
They're in a heat wave, just above freezing.
What's your position? Still on schedule?
You bet. ETA at Quincy's about 1700 hours.
See you then, Charlie. Zero-niner Tango, clear.
Okey-doke, partner. This is Quincy Air Service, clear.
Magnificent creature, the polar bear.
Nature's perfect carnivore,
adapted to the most hostile climate on earth.
Yeah, it's a beauty.
It's also, along with the leopard, one of the few animals that hunts man.
How do you feel, Mr. Koontz, to realize...
...you're not on top of the food chain?
Feels like 10 or 20 grand to me, just for the skin. I love this kind of hunt.
Your problem is, you don't appreciate life's finer things.
Whatever. - You don't hunt with a helicopter...
...you don't hunt with a man such as yourself.
This isn't hunting. This...
...is business.
A whale! Jessie, look, a whale!
Cool!
Those sea lions were awesome. - They were great.
Well, we're home.
Race you back. - Think you can handle it?
It is a long way.
Last one buys the ice cream! - I wanna start again!
Forget it!
Oh, man. - I'll still win.
Hey, Jessie! - Come on, Chip, let's go!
I won! - You're nuts! Anyone can see, I won!
Chip, you wanna come over for dinner? - All right. Oh, man, I can't.
We're leaving first thing in the morning.
Where you going? - A caribou hunt. Everyone's going:
My grandfather, uncles, cousins. It's like this ritual to be a man.
Good. Oh, my God! I'm late! - Late for what?
Hi, Mrs. Ben! Hey, Ben!
Watch it, Jessie! - Sorry!
That girl's always in a hurry.
Bye.
Three...
...two, one.
Home Fire, this is Super Cub. Do you read me, over?
You're right on time, Dad. - Aviator rule number one:
A pilot sticks to his schedule. So, what are your numbers?
I left Denali at 1 1:55. Course: 1-7-0 degrees.
Air speed: 80 knots.
Winds aloft about 25 knots out of the southwest, over.
You should just be hitting...
...Devil's Thumb. - That's a roger.
But I suggest you go around it. - Whatever you say, sweetheart.
Dinner smells good from here. Is your brother helping?
That's a big negative, niner Tango. - Well, where is he?
My guess is, he's out shooting the rapids or wrestling a grizzly bear.
Just being that Alaskan mountain man we know and love.
Cammy Wins!
Thanks. See you later, Mrs. Ben. - Thank you.
Don't worry. His squawk is much bigger than his bite.
I wish you'd leave that bird at home.
Why can't you keep a small dog? Or a parakeet?
Don't say that in front of him, you'll make him hungry.
Easy there, big boy.
Can you just sort out any mail from Chicago?
He was there, you know. - Where?
Great fires of 1935, up the Yukon River.
I was a very young man, hunting alone.
The forest fire jumped a ridge. Winds were high...
...and flames were moving faster than I could run.
There was no way out of the firestorm.
Then I looked up. And through the smoke I saw an eagle...
...flying a circle. Something said to me, "Trust the eagle".
It flew through the smoke and I followed.
I just kept looking at the eagle...
...till the sky cleared and the fire was behind me.
You've been watching too much TV. He was trying to get away from the smoke.
You were trying to get away from the smoke?
And I thought you were my tornak. - Tornak?
He means his pet.
My spirit guide. He's free to leave whenever he wants.
Look, do you have any mail for me or not?
Sorry, son, not today.
I'm stuck in the boonies. - You're stuck in something.
Trust me, it ain't the boonies.
Quincy traffic, this is Super Cub...
...two miles north. I'll be making a straight-in final for the harbor.
Nice landing, Jake. That's a stiff crosswind.
A landing you walk away from is a good one.
You didn't say that when you were flying 747s.
I could say anything as long as I didn't spill the drinks in first class.
I think you still miss it. - Being stacked up...
...10 planes deep over O'Hare in a blinding snowstorm?
No. Up here, I got wide open skies...
...beautiful scenery.
And what pilot wouldn't be satisfied doing important work for his community.
The citizens of Quincy are forever in your debt.
Quincy Air Service. Yeah, this is Jake.
Whatever they call ditching where you come from...
...around here, we call it truancy. It's a crime.
We should cuff him to the dock. Hang a sign on him:
"Big City Juvenile Delinquent".
You'll look like an Alaskan when you finish scrubbing the dock.
It'll take forever!
Long enough for you to appreciate our delicate ecosystem.
It wasn't my fault! - Son, in Alaska...
...if it happens to you, it's your fault.
Hey, Jake. - Sam.
I hate it here.
Look, I know this move's been tough...
...but sometimes people just need to make a fresh start.
Open your eyes, son. Look around.
This is a paradise. - For me it isn't.
Remember that year you struck out 10 times in a row?
Remember what I told you? - Never give up.
Now do I have to drag out that batting trophy you won the very next year?
Dad, that's Little League. This is life!
I got you guys something up in Nome.
Thanks, Dad. It's beautiful. - Gee, thanks, Dad. A compass.
What am I supposed to do with a compass?
Well, you might try finding your way with it, for a start.
Chip and I went kayaking eight miles today.
Eight miles! Excuse me while I call CNN.
His dad says I'm a fast learner. - That's great.
We should go... - What's wrong with you?
Don't start. - Dad, you used to fly 747s.
Now, you deliver toilet paper.
Hello? Hey, Charlie!
All right, get the ampicillin from the clinic. I'll meet you in 15 minutes.
I'm making an emergency run. - It's getting dark.
I'll be fine. Plenty of daylight left.
Maybe I won't be here when you get back!
I don't have time for this. - Mom would have!
She'd never have moved us here! - Stop it, Sean!
This wouldn't happen if she was here! - But, Sean, she's not here.
And nothing you or any of us can do will change that.
We all miss her, Sean, just as much as you...
...but we have to get on with the rest of our lives as best we can.
That's what she would've wanted. - Yeah?
Well, I wish you had died and not her!
Jessie, I'll be taking Devil's Thumb Pass.
I'll radio at 9 tonight. Sharp.
Clear!
There you go. Yeah. All right, all right.
Look, what a cutie.
It's a shame to separate a mother and child, isn't it?
If we plump her a bit, we got two skins we can sell here.
Mama bear and baby bear, like a matching pair.
Dear God, Koontz, you are a fool.
Do you have any idea what my clients in Hong Kong...
...would pay for one live polar bear cub?
Higher than you can count, Mr. Koontz.
I can count pretty high. I can count on both hands if I have to.
You'll have to.
Storm warning's in effect for the Gulf of Alaska.
Gale force winds are predicted for up to 50 knots.
It's gonna be a big one. Trap Line Chatter is up next.
This is Home Fire to Super Cub niner- zero-niner Tango. Come in. Over.
Are you there, niner Tango? This is Home Fire!
Are you there, niner Tango?! Come in! Over!
Home Fire, this is niner Tango, do you read me? Over.
Dad, are you there? - I'm here.
I got less than ideal visibility!
Devil's Thumb's socked in. I'll go around, try another pass.
...do you copy? Over! - I can't hear you, Dad. Say again!
Dad! Dad! Are you there?! Over!
I think something's wrong with Dad! - Yeah, no kidding.
Home Fire, this is zero-niner Tango, did you copy? Over.
Mayday! Mayday! Niner Tango is going down! Mayday! Mayday!
This is Home Fire, do you read me? Dad, is that you?
Dad, are you there?!
Don't worry, we'll find him.
Quincy, this is 2-3-4 Zulu.
Nothing on Coogan's Pass. Quincy, do you copy? Over.
He should be just past there! Close to Devil's Thumb.
Take a good look around Devil's Thumb.
Roger that. Devil's Thumb.
That's a big negative on Devil's Thumb, Charlie.
Quincy, nothing but rocks and snow on Devil's Thumb.
He has to be out there! They're just not looking hard enough!
Look, why don't you guys take another pass, just to be sure.
Roger. We're getting low on fuel, but we'll give it another look.
Sergeant Grazer, we've seen a beer can and an old boot but no plane.
If we don't refuel, you'll need a search party for us too.
Roger that, Charlie. Come on home. - We're heading back to Quincy.
This is 2-3-4 Zulu, clear.
Go back home. We'll call you when we've heard something.
There's nothing you can do here.
Go on.
We've covered this area twice.
We don't even know where to look. - We can't write him off.
We're not writing anybody off. But we've got to face facts.
We've made three trips up there. And you saw that storm.
No signal from his rescue beacon.
It'd be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
You know what Jake's chances are.
Maybe he landed somewhere to wait it out.
Or that plane's in pieces somewhere.
I can't believe this. He'd survive, no matter what!
And you guys are giving up on him! He'd never give up!
Where are you going? - Nowhere.
For going nowhere, you packed a lot. - You're not packed light yourself.
This is stuff which might be useful in trying to find Dad, like a map.
You're not coming! - You gonna swim to Devil's Thumb?
Even if you caught a ride, with what you know, you'll die.
What I know is, Dad is still alive! I'm not just gonna leave him!
I already lost Mom, I'm not losing Dad too.
You'll never make it. - You got a better idea?
Of course I do.
No, no, no. Easy strokes.
It won't get us there any faster.
Stay in sync. One, two, one, two.
One, two, one...
Don't rock the boat. Let the wave flow under it.
My arms are killing me.
My butt is really killing me.
We have to go through there.
Now you're killing me. Can't we just go around?
Not without paddling, like, 25 miles out of the way.
Dad flew up that fjord and that's where we gotta go.
Ready? - Yeah.
Let's go. Paddle hard!
Here comes a big wave.
Keep going!
Easy! Keep going!
Keep going. Paddle hard, we're not out of this yet.
Here comes a big one. - Watch out!
That was incredible! - We made it!
Sean, no!
You idiot! - I didn't do it, you did!
Get the paddle. We gotta dry off.
This is great. Really great.
We're gonna freeze to death.
What's the big deal? We'll make a fire.
Hope you brought matches. - You forgot the matches!?
What are we gonna do now, Pocahontas? Rub sticks together?
Hey, what's that?
Somebody who brought matches. - Maybe they saw Dad's plane.
Hello?
- Is anyone here?
I don't like this.
Knock, knock.
That's a polar bear skin.
You can't hunt polar bears in Alaska. - Write them a note.
"Dear Poachers, this is bad. I'm telling".
Let's get out of here. - Wait.
Let's go.
Wait.
What is that?
Come on.
It's a baby polar bear.
Don't worry. We won't hurt you. - Get away from there.
We can't leave her. That's her mother back there.
How do you know it's a girl?
Let's leave before the poachers come back.
A polar bear can travel up to 50 miles a day.
They'll never find her.
All right, run like hell.
He's not going anywhere.
Anytime now. - Go, run. You're free!
The bus is leaving. Write us a letter.
Hey, hey, hey!
What do we do?
Run!
Move, Jessie! Go!
Go! - Let's go!
All right, Mr. Koontz, unload.
Robbed!
I don't believe this!
Is there no place safe anymore?
Was it Fish and Game?
No. They would've taken everything. These were amateurs.
They're one bear up on us right now.
We'll have to teach them some manners. Go load up the Zodiac.
Wait a minute. I don't have time...
You have no time, Mr. Koontz? Your time is mine.
I paid for it, I'll decide how to use it.
I signed on to fly the chopper. Gather some skins.
Not go traipsing across Alaska looking for a bear!
Which, if I may remind you...
...I said we should've skinned when we had the chance.
Mr. Koontz.
I don't think you understand me. Let me be clear.
I'm accustomed to getting what I want.
I want that bear. Now, go get the Zodiac.
All right. But don't expect pleasant company from me.
I'm gonna be wicked irritable when I come across these guys.
I'm counting on that.
Dinner, chez Sean.
Gourmet dining at its finest.
It's the only thing I can make, but I make it good.
All right, choose your weapon.
Stay on your half of the pan. - Don't worry.
This is good! - Told you.
No one does junk food like Sean Barnes.
What is that? - The northern lights.
Aren't they awesome?
Hey. - Oh, no.
Man, I hope he's eating off your half.
Hey, that's our kitchen! Give me that!
Sean!
Give me that! Let go!
Here. Look what I got. A marshmallow pie.
Here, girl. Look. Go get it.
That should keep him away for 10 seconds.
Come on, let's eat the rest before he gets back.
Something smells good. No, no, go ahead.
Don't mind me, I've already eaten.
I saw your fire from the boat.
It just didn't seem polite not to stop and say hello.
Hello. - Hello.
Oh. That's a fine-looking kayak.
You don't see these native boats around much these days.
Where are you taking it? - Up-country.
Evening, little lady!
My name is Colin Perry. This is my pilot, Mr. Koontz. You are?
Jessie. - Sean.
So, Jessie, Sean, what's up-country?
Our father. - Really?
Yes.
My, my, Grandma. What big teeth you got.
And what a powerful jaw. Your dog?
A bear bit it. - A bear.
Right before my dad shot him.
He shot a bear for biting his pan? - For interrupting his dinner.
Do you mind if I have a light?
You know, Sean...
...the only thing worse than a thief...
...is a liar. I hate liars, don't you?
When you see that bear, tell him to come home.
Good night, young people. Pleasant dreams.
I like that boy. - You'll let them rip us off?
They didn't steal it. - You saw the pan.
They let it go. - What?
That bear could be anyplace.
And we're not going to find it at night.
We'll start first thing in the morning. Shove off.
Mayday. Super Cub niner-zero-niner Tango. Anybody copy? Over.
Mayday, mayday, mayday.
Niner-zero-niner Tango. Does anybody copy? Over.
Damn.
Hold on.
That's Coogan's Pass.
Let's park it. - Can I stay in the car?
Now what? - We climb.
That thing?
Hey, kids, it's me, Charlie.
I need to talk to you. Hello?
Sean?
Jessie?
Oh, no.
Quincy Traffic, this is helicopter 2-3-4 Zulu. Departing northward.
What I would give right now to be at a Cubs game.
I can almost smell the cut grass,
hot dogs right out of the wrapper...
By the time I see another game, I'll have gray hair.
Think they'll have won the pennant? - What the...?
What? I didn't do anything. - The hell you didn't.
God. Oh, no.
She heard you're a Cubs fan. - Not that kind, you dumb animal.
I think that means, "Chill out".
Well, there's no sign of them up there.
These are their tracks, though. That bear is following them.
Well, let's get rid of this kayak before it attracts unwanted company.
Who the hell's that?
Unwanted company. Give me one of those paddles.
Here.
Howdy. - Hello.
Morning. - How goes it?
Not good. I'm looking for a boy and girl heading this way.
Their dad's plane went down in that storm, and they went after him.
Alone? - I'm afraid so.
Have you seen them?
These young people...
...they were brought up on MTV and video games.
They know nothing of the real world.
They can't conceive of the true brutality of nature.
Yeah. Right. What are you guys doing up here?
We're with the Sierra Club. - Tree huggers?
That's us. We're working on next year's calendar.
No kidding. - No, keep it.
Say, those two kids...
...they weren't in a kayak, were they?
I think so, why? - Oh, dear God.
Some poor souls smashed a kayak up on the rocks about 25 miles up the coast.
One of those native boats. We couldn't get near it...
...but we pulled this out of the water.
Is it theirs?
Yeah.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Twenty-five miles north of here? - Maybe a little further.
Much obliged.
Mr. Koontz, let's get the chopper.
Look. There it is.
Devil's Thumb.
Do you see anything? - No. Too far away.
How will we get off this pass? It's steep.
Well, do you want the crampons or the ice ax?
I'll be the ax-man.
All right, ax-man. I'm gonna go down 100 feet and anchor the rope.
Okay. - If you slip, stop with the ax.
Belay me. - What?
If I slip, hold the rope. - Okay.
Wait a sec. You're sure this is how they do it?
It's how they do it on ESPN. - Then it must be right.
Hey, what are you looking at?
All right, ax-man, it's your turn.
You got a better way down?
Showoff!
Tornak.
Sean!
Oh, God. Oh, God. Sean!
Sean! - Yes. God.
Can you scream louder? I can still hear.
I thought you were dead. - No.
I thought she was gonna... - What? Take a bite out of me?
It's not a she anyhow. It's a he.
Trust me. I got a very good look.
We have to get you off this mountain.
Careful now.
We have to stop. Get you dried off. - No. I'm fine.
Yeah, right. Ever heard of hypothermia?
I don't want to stop. We gotta keep going.
Sean, look!
Hello?
Is anybody here?
Hello?
I know. We should never have come out here.
Well, we can stay here tonight. At least we have a fire.
What do you mean stay? There's plenty of daylight left.
Are you okay? - Yep. Never felt better.
Come on, let's get going.
You should lie down, get some sleep. You're not thinking straight.
Dad's out there. You think he's gonna get a good night's sleep?
What do I tell Dad after you die from exposure?
Tell him I...
Tell him I died trying to find him. - Look, you have to get some rest.
There's two days walking along this river before we climb Devil's Thumb.
You can walk if you like.
I'm taking the canoe.
Quincy Rescue, this is helicopter 2-3-4 Zulu.
I've searched the inside passage and haven't seen a thing.
I'm gonna head back and refuel. Over.
Roger, Charlie. You've been out all day. Take a breather.
That was a lot of fun.
Really, Jess, where would you be without me?
Pretty much where I am now.
Oh, man.
Packed it in case I had to tape your mouth shut.
Hope there's some left.
What do you say...
...we have a little dinner?
Never give up. Never give up. Never...
See? It floats. Where would you be without me?
Probably back in Chicago.
Sorry, Cubby, we're all full up.
Cubby? Where'd you get that name?
It's what his mother called him.
That bear's relentless.
What now, Cubby?
Sean...
Maybe we should've walked after all.
Forward! Forward hard!
Watch the rocks, Jessie!
Here we go, break! Left, go left!
Hold on, Jessie, here comes another one!
Hold on!
Watch the rocks!
Left! Left, go left!
Here we go!
Left, turn left!
Watch the rock!
Watch the rocks, Jessie!
Here we go! Watch it! - Here we go! Coming up right!
We did it!
We made it, Jessie!
Oh, no.
Paddle to shore. - No, too late.
Go for it! Paddle hard!
Up there! Get up there, Jessie!
Climb on top!
Sean! Grab on to my hand!
Jessie! Grab hold of me.
Sean!
Jessie! - Sean!
Jessie! Help!
Sean!
Ben!
Sean, are you okay?
We saved some of your gear, but your canoe's history.
We usually portage around these falls.
You two are a long way from home.
Their tornak led them here.
I'll take you back tomorrow. - No! We can't go back.
You don't appreciate this country. - That's why they need to go.
Listen, Dad... - No. You listen to me.
In my father's time, a young man had to hunt a bear with only a spear...
...and so take on a bear's power. Or die trying.
These two are on a spirit journey.
They've gone too far. It'd be wrong for us to stop them now.
Are you finished, Dad?
Yes.
Their spirit journey is over. This is the '90s, old man.
We head home in the morning.
Hi.
My dad says he'll get you two home no matter what.
We've gotta get you out of here before he wakes up.
Come on. Wake up!
I packed food and stuff for you. Let's go. - Your dad will kill you.
Then you can come to my funeral. - This is really manly of you.
There's a white bear over there staring at you.
Cubby! You made it!
He's been following us for two days.
Her mother was killed by poachers.
These things don't happen every day. I'd say he's looking out for you.
I'd say he's looking out for food. He's been eating dinner with us.
Come here, girl. Come on!
Some things you can only see with an open heart.
Yeah. Or another box of marshmallow pies.
Little Nanook.
In the old days, we called him "one who gives power".
To touch him is a gift. Don't throw it away.
Thanks. I won't forget what you've done for us.
Sean.
Trust the bear.
Come on, Cubby.
Quincy Rescue, this is 2-3-4 Zulu, over.
I think I found something.
Some sort of camp. I'm gonna take a look.
Poachers.
Sergeant, you better send somebody up here.
They were poachers. Sent me on a wild goose chase.
I'm heading back to Devil's Thumb.
Where does he think he's going?
Well, that's Devil's Thumb.
Hey.
I think he wants us to follow him.
Dad wouldn't have flown that way.
Maybe Cubby knows something we don't.
I know Dad's route and how far he could've flown.
He has to be somewhere in Devil's Thumb Pass, not up there.
No. We have to trust the bear.
Take her around.
The poachers! - Cubby!
Cubby!
Morning, Sean. Jessie.
Small world, isn't it?
No! No!
Have a nice hike!
Take her up.
He's gone, Sean. Those jerks took him away.
For no reason!
He didn't do anything wrong.
It's not fair.
I just love this job!
One way or another, if you're persistent, fortune smiles on you.
Koontz, how much tranquilizer did you put in this dart?
Four cc's. - It wasn't enough.
Set it down. I'll have to dart him again.
Set it down!
Damn it!
What do we do now? - We keep going.
Mom would've wanted us to keep going. Never give up. Never.
Can't you hear her? - Well, where do we go?
This way. We keep going where Cubby was taking us.
We have to. Come on. - I can't climb anymore.
I'm tired. - Come on. I'll carry you if I have to.
You can make it, Jessie.
Jessie, look!
Look!
Dad!
Daddy! Where are you?
Dad!
Sean!
Dad!
Look! - He's alive!
Sean!
Oh, my God. Hold on, Dad!
I'm going down. - No, I'll go down.
You can lower me. I'm lighter. - No. Remember what happened last time?
Okay.
On belay! Go for it, Sean. - Just like ESPN.
Hold on a second.
Give me some slack, Jessie.
Dad! - Sean!
Dad, I'm coming out there for you.
Sean! No, get off the plane. It's slipping!
Dad, I'm gonna get you out of here!
No, Sean, it's slipping. - Jessie, give me some slack!
All right! - Here, tie this around your waist.
Your ascenders... - What?
The ascenders, these yellow things. Clip them into your rope.
Hurry up, Dad!
Sean!
I can't hold both of you! - Sean, listen.
Clip on this ascender and climb.
Now, go.
Go!
Hurry!
Jessie, hang on! I'm coming up!
Climb! You can do it!
Hang on! - No!
Jessie! - Sean!
Hang on!
Jessie, hang on! - Sean, help!
Sean, I can't hold...
It's Cubby!
Sean, climb up!
Hurry!
Cubby!
Are you okay? - Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, pull!
Pull, Cubby, pull!
Pull!
Yeah, pull!
Pull the rope! Come on, Cubby, pull the rope!
That's it! Pull the rope, Cubby! - Pull harder!
In sync, Jessie. One, two, one...
Try to climb up, Dad.
Pull, Cubby, pull!
I just wanna know one thing.
What took you guys so long? - Don't ask.
Dad, before you left I said that I...
Don't worry.
I didn't hear a thing.
What the...?
It's either a polar bear or the whitest dog I've ever seen.
It's a dog, Dad. Can we keep him?
Whoa, Sean, better let me do that. - Dad, this is nothing.
Quincy, I got a flare here.
About five miles west of Devil's Thumb.
All right, he says he's got a flare five miles west of Devil's Thumb.
Charlie, over here!
It's Charlie!
Oh, my God.
You guys ain't gonna believe this. It's them! Jake and the kids!
Sean and Jessie found him! They rescued him!
You have got to be kidding!
Charlie!
It's 10 or 12 days to the nearest road, you know that?
You had to keep on with the bear.
If you'd listened to me... But, oh, no, you knew.
What did I say to you at the time, huh?
I said that animal would be easier to handle skinned, cleaned and folded.
True enough, Mr. Koontz. So would you.
Hey, Charlie...
...set her down over that ridge.
Go on, Cubby. Go on, get out of here.
Goodbye, Cubby.
I love you.
Go on. Get out of here.
Go on, you're free.
Wait.
Thanks for helping me find my way.
Let's go home, Dad.
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