Lost on a Mountain in Maine (2024)

Jump to:

Positive Elements| Spiritual Elements| Violent Content| Crude or Profane Language| Other Noteworthy Elements|
Conclusion

Movie Review

Mount Katahdin is not to be taken lightly.

Rising above the surrounding woodlands, the massif stands as the highest point in the state of Maine. The Penobscot Native Americans dubbed it the “Great Mountain.” A round-trip climb of Katahdin takes anywhere from eight to 12 hours and includes a 4,000-foot elevation gain.

It’s no picnic, even for seasoned hikers. But an adventure, to be sure.

Just not the adventure 12-year-old Donn Fendler, in the summer of 1939, had wanted. He’d been promised a weeks-long fishing trip instead, but the demands of his father’s job scuttled those plans. So now—at least as Donn sees it—he’s stuck with a crummy weekend mountain climb before his strict father abandons their family again to return to work.

But even that is about to be taken away, too. Katahdin is known for its rapidly changing weather. In the face of an encroaching storm, Donn’s father decides to cut their hike short. But Donn cannot abide this decision.

“You want us to be men?” he tells his father. “Then let us be men.”

Reluctantly, his father relents, allowing Donn and his twin brother, Ryan, to continue to the summit with their guide. They make it—but are soon engulfed in a violent thunderstorm. Panicked, Donn scrambles down the mountain, away from the wind and lightning. He makes it down to the tree line, escaping the tempest.

Safe. Or so he thinks.

Only then does Donn realize his predicament: He is alone. Separated from the others. Lost in the vast and unforgiving Maine wilderness, with no idea how to get back to civilization, to his family.

Donn is afraid. He has no food. His clothing is ill-suited for his current circumstances. The odds of survival are stacked against him. But he recalls his father’s familiar mantra, two words to remember when times get tough: “Press on.”

So, that’s what Donn intends to do: Press on. Find a way back home.

No matter what.

Positive Elements

A core thread of the film is the relationship between Donn and his father, Donald (I’ll refer to him as Mr. Fendler for sake of clarity). They have a strained relationship, to say the least. Mr. Fendler runs a tight ship and can be tough on his older boys, especially Donn. And Donn resents the fact that his father is often away from their family for work.

To be clear, Mr. Fendler is no absentee, workaholic father. In 1939, the Great Depression still loomed large. We get the sense that Mr. Fendler feels fortunate even to have a job, and he’s committed to providing for his family. But he is stern, hoping to prepare his children for the difficulties that the world will throw at them. However, Mr. Fendler eventually regrets not expressing his love more, telling his wife that he was “so … focused on trying to make [Donn] tough that I forgot to be his dad.”

Despite the tensions between Donn and his father, the love they have for each other is real. We hear a story about Mr. Fendler’s emotion when Donn and Ryan were born, stating that he and his wife were “luckiest people in the world.”

When Donn gets lost, his family goes to extreme lengths to find him. Mr. Fendler often forgoes food and rest to continue the search for his son. Mrs. Fendler plays a significant role here as well. She’s the emotional bedrock of the family, holding things together while the hunt for Donn drags on. She reaches out to their community for help, and she’s met with an incredible response. Newspapers raise awareness of the search and, as a result, volunteers from all corners of Maine arrive to help locate Donn.

For his part, Donn is driven to find his way back home. His love for his parents and siblings clearly fortifies his fight for survival. In one scene, Donn envisions himself back with his family, sharing a cheerful meal at the dinner table. Later, he shares a sweet story about his dad reading to him before bed.

In one of the most remarkable moments in the film, Donn’s brother, Ryan, volunteers to explore a tight crevasse—which several of the searchers think may contain Donn’s dead body. (It doesn’t.) But the fortitude—and love for his brother—that Ryan displays through his actions are moving.

A park ranger espouses the virtue of “neighborliness”—that is, coming to the aid of someone in need.

Spiritual Elements

Mr. Fendler reads from a book that looks like a Bible—though the book is not specifically identified as such. While lost in the woods, Donn asks God to help him.

Early in the film, a guide shares a campfire story about Pamola, a god of the Penobscot Native Americans who it was said dwelled atop Katahdin. But this spooky spirit (who possesses the antlers of a moose, eagle wings, and the body of a man) seems to be more than a mere legend. During a storm on Katahdin’s peak, Donn sees Pamola’s silhouette in a flash of lightning. Later, after many days in the wilderness, the spirit visits Donn to keep him warm while he sleeps. (We see a feathered wing that blankets the boy.)

To pass the time while wandering through the woods, Donn sings “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah.” Later, we hear a choral rendition of the song. A man utters “God only knows” and “God help you”—but these are said more as turns of phrase than sincere, reverent proclamations.

Sexual & Romantic Content

A man embraces his wife after returning from a long absence.

Old footage of the search for Donn is played over the credits, and we see a volunteer’s bare torso.

Violent Content

Lost on a Mountain in Maine is a story of survival, and much of the film’s violence comes from watching Donn fight to stay alive in his unforgiving surroundings. Early on, Donn injures his foot, and we see his bloody toe. Biting flies swarm him. He seeks shelter from howling wind and rain. After a brief respite in a stream, Donn discovers, horrified, that he is covered with leeches. He removes them carefully; we see a little blood, but nothing too graphic.

Donn ends up in rough physical shape over the course of his ordeal. He’s increasingly bloody, bruised, dirty and malnourished, which could be difficult to watch for sensitive younger viewers. Ryan stumbles across a dead bird and takes it as a bad omen for his brother’s chances of survival.

A man gets hurt while searching in the woods; we learn that he tore a cornea and might lose his eye. Later, we see him with heavy bandaging around his head.

Some of the park rangers believe that Donn is dead. Brothers fight. A character slams his hand in frustration. A mountain guide points out a carcass (offscreen) and says, “Look at those ribs.” There’s a glimpse of an animal’s remains.

Crude or Profane Language

We hear one s-word. There are four misuses of God’s name, and “d—” is heard five times. “H—” is said three times. The word “butt” is used once. Donn and his twin brother, Ryan, have their fair share of sibling squabbles. Ryan calls Donn an “idiot” a few times. Donn shoots back, saying Ryan is a “dummy.”

Drug & Alcohol Content

During the credits, two men hold up glasses that appear to contain alcoholic beverages.

Other Noteworthy Elements

As mentioned above, Donn has a difficult relationship with his father. We see a few moments when the boy’s frustration boils over into outright disrespect. In one instance, Donn intentionally spits at his father’s feet. Donn also challenges his dad’s decision to abandon their hike due to inclement weather. And he even threatens that he might leave home, just to show his father what it feels like. (This turns out to be an unfortunately prescient statement.)

Donn and Ryan argue atop Katahdin, and Ryan blames his brother for being the reason their father is often away from home (which is not true).

Early on, while lost in the woods, Donn mocks his father’s scolding, then snorts and spits dramatically, just because he can. We see the viscous spit hit the ground. Later, Donn catches a fish and reluctantly eats it raw.

Mrs. Fendler says that when she heard one of her sons were missing, she hoped it was Donn—which sounds strange and cold at first. She then explains her reasoning: She knew that Donn would fight to live and have the best chance to survive.

Mr. Fendler has a hard time opening up to his sons. He justifies being hard on them, saying, “The world is not going to give [these boys] a break. Neither should I.” He calls Donn and Ryan “lunkheads.”

We see Donn without a shirt or pants (or both) throughout much of the film while he wanders through the woods. A group of women speak unkindly about a person.

Conclusion

Lost on a Mountain in Maine, based on the book of the same name, recounts the true story of Donn Fendler: his fight for survival, the tireless efforts of his family to find him and the hundreds of people who joined in the search.

Many of us have learned to take the words “based on a true story” with a grain of salt. But as far as I can tell, this film hews pretty close to the spirit of Donn Fendler’s experience. It even intercuts its tale with real interviews of Donn’s family and others involved, adding another layer of authenticity.

Lost on a Mountain in Maine has a happy ending, just like the real story: After nine days lost in the wilderness, after walking more than 80 miles and losing 16 pounds, Donn Fendler was rescued. He reunited with his family, and his story was shared in such publications as The New York Times and Life. A parade was held. Donn even received the Navy Legion of Valor medal from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

It’s a remarkable story. What’s equally remarkable is the familial love on display here. Donn’s ordeal, as harrowing as it was, leads every member of the Fendler family to love and appreciate one another more deeply. There are strong messages here about a father’s impact, a mother’s love, and the strength of the family. The filmmakers of Lost on a Mountain in Maine dedicated their work to mothers and fathers, and that message comes through loud and clear.

This movie won’t be for everyone. Young viewers may find it difficult to watch Donn’s struggle for survival, and the focus on the Native American god Pamola muddies the story’s spiritual waters.

But few movies I’ve seen recently present the whole family in such a powerful, positive way. Combine that with Donn Fendler’s incredible true story of perseverance, and this might be one movie you and your family wouldn’t mind getting lost in.