Mother Lode
A couple of youngish adventurers go into the wilderness of British Columbia in search of a lost colleague. Their plane crashes and they find themselves at the mercy of a crazed old Scottish miner, who has lived in isolation for many decades searching the mountain caves for a chamber of long lost gold. He is prepared to do anything - including murder - to keep his gold for himself.
-
- Cast：
- Charlton Heston , Kim Basinger , Nick Mancuso , John Marley , Dale Wilson
Similar titles
Reviews
the audience applauded
good back-story, and good acting
This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
MOTHER LODE is an all but forgotten tale of survival in the wilderness and the hunt for a golden treasure. I'd never heard of it before I saw it was on TV so I thought I'd give it a go; I quite like Charlton Heston when he's at his most bombastic so I thought I'd see what he was like here.The good news is that Heston is the best thing in the film and his larger than life portrayal of a mountain man is hugely entertaining. It's a shame that the rest of the film can't match, really, as MOTHER LODE is saddled with a slow-moving plot and some rather unlikeable protagonists. Nick Mancuso and Kim Basinger play characters who seem self-centred and indeed rather selfish and I couldn't warm to them despite their various misadventures. Basinger's screaming soon becomes annoying, too.What MOTHER LODE does have going for it is some stunning outdoor location photography of the British Columbian wilds. A lot of the aerial shots are simply breathtaking and truly bring to life this rather neglected part of the world (at least neglected when it comes to cinema). It's certainly an amiable enough watch overall, containing a little of that early '80s spirit of adventure that infused the likes of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, although this is much darker and more realistic, and not as entertaining. But it'll do.
Determined hothead airplane pilot Jean Dupre (a fine and credible performance by Nick Mancuso) and the sweet'n'spunky Andrea Spalding (a solid and appealing portrayal by the gorgeous Kim Basinger in an early starring role) find themselves trapped in the expansive Canadian wilderness after their plane crashes while searching for a missing colleague. The pair run afoul of hearty, yet insane, possessive, and reclusive Irish minor Silas McGee and his oddball twin brother Ian. Director Charlton Heston, working from a quirky and engrossing script by his son Fraser, relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, offers a flavorsome evocation of the vast, lush, and desolate sylvan setting, maintains a tough and serious tone throughout, conveys a potent feeling of real danger in the underground tunnel sequences, and delivers a few tense and exciting moments (the plane crash at the beginning in particular is quite startling). Moreover, Heston does first-rate work in a juicy dual role and essays the part of the no-count Silas with deliciously wicked and intense relish. Veteran character actor John Marley lends wonderfully engaging support as wise and crusty old-timer Elijha. The clammy and cramped caves add substantially to the claustrophobic suspense and authentically grimy atmosphere. In addition, there's even a strong central message about how greed and obsession can corrupt a man's soul. Richard Leiterman's sharp cinematography provides an appropriately gritty look, makes inspired use of dim natural light, and comes through with a wealth of striking images of the breathtaking British Columbia countryside. Kenneth Wannberg's moody score hits the brooding and stirring spot. Recommended viewing for those with a taste for something different.
My husband and I have always loved this film. The scenery is beautiful, and Kim Basinger and Charlton Heston were pretty good. It was the first film I'd seen Basinger in, and she made an impression.We always thought it should've gotten more attention than it did. It's a gripping adventure tale with Basinger and Nick Mancuso, who also does a fine job, cast as a young couple set off to the Northwest to search for a missing friend. That friend was looking for gold.Pretty soon, they're on the hunt themselves, befriended by a quirky old miner played by Heston. He plays the menacing, enigmatic character masterfully. You can never quite tell if he's just sort of quirky from having been alone so long, or if he's dangerously unstable.This movie has held up well over time.
Mother Lode stars Charleton Heston as a Gold Miner in the mountains of BC for "nigh on 30 year". Nick Mancuso (Jean Dupre) and Kim Basinger (Andrea Spalding) are a couple of adventurous gold seekers. They are also trying to find out what happened to their friend George. It is a good movie, a nice adventure. WHY IS IT NOT ON DVD? There are a lot worse films released every day. When Charleton Heston died I noticed on the long list of his movie accomplishments that Mother Lode was not included. It made me wonder how many others were not listed and why. I look forward to its eventual release. Had I known it would have never been released I would have taped it off HBO in one of its hundreds of showings back in 1983. Another movie that seems to have fallen into this problem is the film "Robinson Crusoe On Mars." It starred Paul Mantee, Vic Lundon, and had a cameo by Adam (Batman) West. [email protected]
