Courage

Jason Priestley (TV's "Beverly Hills, 90210") and Andrea Roth star in this inspirational adventure story about courage, love and the power of family. Aspiring author Robert (Priestly) organizes a quick getaway with his wife and daughter designed to rebuild their estranged relationship with his daughter, but when a powerful storm hits they are forced to make a crash landing on the ominously named Bear Island. With Robert seriously injured and no way to reach the mainland, the three castaways find that they must rely on their faith -- and each other -- to survive the ordeal.

**_Third-rate family version of “The Edge”_** A rising author (Jason Priestly) takes his spoiled daughter and new wife (Genevieve Buechner and Andrea Roth) on a boat trip in Puget Sound, but they shipwreck on an island where there’s a grizzly on the loose. "Courage” (2009) is a family knockoff of “The Edge” (1997) and I was hoping for a worthwhile tv-budget variation but it devolved into eye-rolling dramatics and hammy acting (e.g. the redneck bear hunter). Everything is here for a quality adventure/survival movie – a solid cast, scenic locations and a real (huge) brown bear. The author angle is good, but Priestly is removed as an active participant fairly early and the focus on the overly good-natured wife and her annoying, weepy stepdaughter can’t carry the film. A more imaginative script was needed. The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in southwestern British Columbia (town) and an inlet of the Strait of Georgia outside Vancouver (shipwreck scenes). GRADE: C-