GOLDRUSH

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

Disney likes spunky heroines, which is probably why their Princess Diaries, The Miracle Worker, and other girl-power films have done so well. The latest in this barrage of "Wonderful World of Disney" productions is Goldrush, the story of a young woman who wants to leave behind the stuffy society of restraint in New York and travel into the wilds of Alaska to dig gold. Frances Ella Fitz, or "Fizzie" (Alyssa Milano) works as a typist for a New York newspaper. She earns a good sum, works fast, is reliable, and everyone likes her. But Fizzie has been struck with the fever that is racing across the nation... gold fever. They've discovered gold in Alaska! Men are dropping their businesses, friends, and families left and right to go mining for gold up in the unclaimed territories.

Fizzie's mother isn't too hot on the idea of her eldest daughter going alone up into the Alaskan frontier, especially on such an "absurd" plot... to find gold. Bur Fizzie is determined, and with the help of handsome businessman P.T. Madison (Bruce Campbell), manages to convince her mother that she'll be okay. Madison is taking a group of twenty-four up into the wilds at a knockdown price. The payment will be that half of all profits made go into his company; the other half is divided equally amongst the company. At first, it sounded like a good plan... until Fizzie discovered that she would have to share a cramped cabin with twenty-five scroungy men. Then, too, Alaska isn't what she first imagined it to be. Apparently Madison has no interest in putting her to work mining for gold, but instead finds her a job as a secretary and typist. While she's filing claims, shuffling paperwork, and earning a fair profit, there's something sinister happening in the little seaside town. Miners are being cheated out of their property, and she feels her employer is responsible.

None of her company have any interest in stepping in to prove her right. So Fizzie must take matters into her own hands... and possibly pay the consequences. Goldrush isn't a classic, but it turns out to be a fairly decent film that's enjoyable for its own spunk and creativity. As the critics have agreed, Alyssa Milano is the redeeming factor in the film. She turns in a spunky, fresh, and lovable performance as Fizzie. She's talented, beautiful, and wears the role with pride. The costuming is beautiful, with elegant Victorian homes and long shimmering gowns. The film actually takes several good plot turns, although at times you're left groaning and some of Fizzie's choices. She ends up independent, for the romance lovers... there's some sparks but no wedding bells.

The film is surprisingly family-friendly with only some mild violence in the mining towns, and two deaths. (One man is buried in an avalanche, another is found dead on the street.) There's no language that I noted and sensuality is limited to a glimpse of Fizzie in the bathtub (only her upper shoulders seen). I was pleased to see that she didn't go against her mother's authority by just packing up and leaving without permission, but rather that she went to her first. Maybe not deemed a must-see by many, but for lovers of Victorian adventure, particularly with smaller children in the house, this is a safe venue for interest.