(gentle instrumental music) (bird calling) (dogs barking) (vibrant music) - [Woman] Go! - Where nature
rules, beauty reigns. - What? - That's something your
grandma used to say. I never get tired of this drive. Isn't it something? - I see trees, Grandpa and snow. - [Grandpa] So, your mom and dad are traveling around Europe. - [Girl] And they
didn't take me. - I'm so happy you're
here, Buttercup. - [Buttercup] Mom said you
could use some company. - Well, you're not just company. You're family. Too bad you didn't
come in a day earlier. We could've watched
the Race to the Sky, one of the biggest dog
sled races in the country. - Dog sled race? What century is this? - You would've enjoyed it. Very exciting. Dogs are magnificent. If you want me to slow down
so you can enjoy the view, just say the word.
(Buttercup sighs) Do you mind if we stop in town? I need to go to the post office. - How far is town? - We're here. - This is town? - Yep. I love this town. You don't get this
back in Boston. This is it. Wanna see our post office? - That's very tempting, Grandpa,
but I think I'll wait here. - Okay. (chuckling) - Damn, boy, that is the
fourth race you've lost. Fourth! You're starting to embarrass me. In front of the entire town. - The sled runners are bent
from the accident last week and the dogs are tired. I mean, maybe we
should let them rest. - Excuses, excuses, excuses. You're nothing but a
mother-loving excuse machine. Oh, here.
- Good race, Ozzie. - Quit your moping. - Heep. Is that any way to treat a boy? - You should mind your
own business, Hale. Shouldn't you be home
having a heart attack? Come on! - Hi, Mr. Hale.
- Hi, Jack. - Did you see the race? I came in fourth in
the junior division. - Fourth? - [Jack] I was running first
until the last few turns. - I notice you tend
to brake on the turns just when those dogs
really wanna run. - Grandpa? I'm cold and bored. I'm cold and bored. - Well, we'll get you home
and we'll get you toasty. Ryan, this is Jack
Ferguson, lives next door. That's my granddaughter,
she's from Boston. - City girl, huh? I should get the dogs fed. It's nice to meet you, Ry. (suspenseful music) - [Hale] Whatcha looking at? - Do you have satellite TV? (chuckling)
- No, but I got hot chocolate. Come on. Your mom gave me a list of
chapters you need to read so you don't fall
behind in school. Looks like a lot of work. - Not really, I'm
pretty good in school. - Uh-huh. You still play soccer? No? You were a pretty fine
player, weren't you? - The Beacon Hill girls
don't play soccer. They say it's for tomboys.
- Uh-huh. The Beacon Hill girls? - Brittney and Chloe, they're the most popular
girls in my class. - Oh, and they're
friends of yours. - I tell people they are, but I don't think they
say the same about me. - Oh, I see. - They have the best cell
phones, the coolest clothes. Brittney goes skiing in Italy and Chloe's family owns
a house in St. Barts. (chuckling)
- Impressive. - And I'm stuck here in Montana. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. A sad fate for a little girl. Bed time, Buttercup. Would you like me
to read you a story? - Grandpa, I'm 10. - Oh, right, yeah. Sorry. (wolf howling) (owl hooting) (gentle instrumental music) - Hi, are you staying
at Mr. Hale's? - Yeah. - We're collecting
pine cones, wanna come? - Pine cones? Gosh, that sounds
really exciting. - She's not from around
here, Rusty, let's go. - These mountain
people are crazy. - What's all this?
- My wish book. All the things I want.
- What is this? - A clip for your hair. - $40?
- Chloe has one. It's really cool.
- I see. - Mom and Dad won't let me
have most of this stuff. They say not getting everything
I want builds character. I think I would have a lot of
character if they surprised me and got me everything I want. - You do, huh? - But I never get any
good surprises in my life. - Oh, the world is
full of surprises, if you look at it
with the right eyes. - That sounds like grandpa talk. (laughing) But thanks for trying
to cheer me up. (gentle piano music) (objects banging)
(animal whimpering) (suspenseful music) Hello? - Hey. What's up? - I heard something. You don't have ghosts, do you? (chuckling)
- No. Probably a raccoon. They like to show up and
make a mess of the garbage when I forget to
lock the trash cans. Let's surprise them.
(suspenseful music) (bells jingling) It's a dog. - Just a dog? - Not just a dog,
one heck of a dog. Look at the size of him. (dog whimpering) Careful. It might be feral.
- Feral? - Wild, there's some
wild dogs around. This dog's in bad shape. We'd better call the vet. - [Vet] He's been fighting. Probably with a
bear or a bobcat. Could be some internal bleeding. - Is he going to die? - It doesn't look good. He's hardly breathing,
may have punctured a lung. And, Bill, that's not a
dog, not entirely, anyway. - What do you mean?
- Well, look at him. He's got a lot of wolf in him. He's a hybrid. - Can we keep him? - Look, this animal is in
pretty bad shape, Bill. I could operate, but I think
the only reasonable option here would be put him to sleep. - You mean to kill him? He didn't do anything. You can't just kill him. - Right.
- If he wants to die, he can die here. But I'm not going
to let you kill him. - Tell you what. How about I check
in on you tomorrow? I'm guessing by then the only
question will be disposal. - Hold it right there now. We're talking about
a wolf here, right? Like, grr. (chuckles) I mean, is it safe?
(dog whimpers) - He's in no condition
to harm anyone. And he looks like he's
more dog than wolf, anyway. It's safe. - Thanks, doc. - All right.
- All right. Okay, Ry, let's let him sleep and we'll see how he
is in the morning. - Can we put a heater
out here for him? - Sure. - Thanks, Grandpa. - This is Call of the
Wild by Jack London. One of my favorite books when I was just a little
bit older than you. But kids these days, well. - This isn't about bunny rabbits or fairies or something is it? - It's about a dog. Buck did not read the newspapers or he would have known
that trouble was brewing. - Who's Buck? - Buck is a dog. The writing gets kinda fancy, do you mind if I
paraphrase now and again? - Paraphrase?
- Mm-hmm. Put it into my own words. - Okay.
- All right. You see, it was 1897, and gold
was discovered in the Yukon. - That's in Canada.
- Right. Now, down in sunny California
there was a dog named Buck who lived on a huge estate. Buck was four years old, part St. Bernard and
part Scotch Shepherd. He was large and very smart,
and he lived like a king. On the property, worked a
gardener who had a dark heart. When he learned that
there was a good market for strong dogs, he took
Buck to meet a strange man down the road one night. Money changed hands and the gardener handed
the leash to the other man. Buck could not know that when
this second man led him away, he would never see
his home again. How about we continue
this tomorrow night? - I'm not sleepy yet. Keep reading. - Ryan! Buttercup! Buttercup! (dog whimpering) Ry, what are you doing? - He's feeling better. - How long have
you been out here? - Just since the sun came up. He thinks he's a dog. He wants to be friends. Can I keep him? - Ry, that is a wild animal. - Not anymore, I
gave him a name. - Really? - Buck. - I want you to understand
that even if he fully recovers, he's still a wild animal. He can't live in a townhouse. Listen, I have to do
some errands in town. What do you say we go
and get some ice cream? - Can we get some
food for Buck, too? - Ha, sure. - Let's go.
(gentle country music) - Hi, Mr. Hale.
- Hi, Marla. How you doing today? - I'm doing good. How are you doing?
- I'm doing just great, thank you.
- Good. - How would you like
your own ear-flap hat? - Are you kidding? I would be laughed
out of school. Hey, do you have any wolf food? - Wolf food? Oh, you mean like a wolf chow? No, I'm afraid we don't. - Then what's the best
dog food that you have? - I haven't tasted any myself, but the most
expensive kind we have is the Happy Dog Banquet Feast. It's those cans over there. - Ry, I think dry food
is good enough for Buck. - Mom and Dad said I
could buy what I want. And I want Buck to
have the best food. - Put this on my
tab, will you, Marla? - Sure thing, Mr. Hale. Oh, I have something
else for you. It's for Marcy. Actually, it's for you. It's that old sweater you
used to wear all the time. Your wife asked me to
sew some leather patches on the elbows for you. Well, you know, I
kinda forgot about it. I'm sorry. (gentle instrumental music) - She used to hate
this old sweater. Always teased me she
was gonna throw it out when I wasn't looking. (sighs deeply) Thought she finally did. - Nope, I guess she just
wanted to fix it up for you. God bless you, Mr. Hale. - Come on, Buck. Come on, it's really cozy. (Buck whining) Can I sleep out here
with Buck tonight? - What do you suppose
the chances are I'm gonna let you sleep in
this cold garage with a wolf? - When you put it like
that, I guess not very good. - Good guess. For that you get a prize.
- What? - All the toothpaste you
can fit on your brush. Come on. - [Ryan] Good night, Buck.
(Buck whining) - Should I keep reading?
- Yes. - Try and stay awake so I can get to the
good part, will you? Buck was put into the baggage
car of a great express train. This train traveled
all the way to the sea, where Buck was put
aboard a cargo ship. For seven days, the
ship traveled northward. And for seven days, Buck
had very little to eat. What little food
was brought to him, was brought by a man
in a red sweater. Buck blamed the man for
everything that happened to him. When he had his chance,
Buck tried to get away, but the man had a club. Buck had never been struck
by a club in his life. The man beat him and beat him until Buck could fight no more. He learned that a man
with a club made the law. The man in the red sweater said, "Obey, dog, and you'll
be treated fine. "Be a bad dog and I'll beat the
tar out of you, understand?" Buck understood, but he
was not happy about it. - Does he get away? - We'll have to see. Seems Buck has entered a world
where he doesn't exactly fit, and that could mean trouble. - I'm glad our Buck ended
up where he belongs. - Good night,
Buttercup, sweet dreams. (Buck barking) - Come on, Buck. You wanna be a pet, don't you? Pets have it made.
(playful music) It's a nice collar. Look, leather. Come on, Buck, don't
you wanna look cool? Buck, it's so pretty. (chuckling)
- Wonders never cease. - [Ryan] Come on, boy. - Hey, kid.
- Shh, almost have him. - Is that a wolf? - It's a dog-wolf. His name's Buck. - He looks strong. Smart, too. (Buck howling) - Hey. Morning, Jack.
- Morning. - Didn't get much
sleep last night? (chuckling) - I don't sleep much
at all these days. (Buck barking) - He likes me. I'm going to talk Mom and
Dad into letting me keep him. - Ry. - Wait till Brittney
and Chloe see. Chloe's family has an Afghan
and Brittney's has a Shar-Pei. But nobody, and I mean nobody
in Beacon Hill has a pet wolf. (snowmobile whirring)
(dramatic music) (Buck barking) (Buck barking) (gentle guitar music) - Come on, Ryan. You're gonna love this place. - Hey, Mr. Hale. - How you doing today?
- Good. How are you doing?
- Not too bad. I have something to take care
of at the bank, Buttercup. Tracy, let this little girl
have whatever she wants. As long as she
doesn't overdo it. - Okay. - Grandpa? Can you please not call me
Buttercup around other people? It's embarrassing.
- Sorry. - How about a strawberry sundae. Hey, Jack. - Oh, hi. Hi, Tracy, hi.
(clears throat) I didn't know you
were working today. I, I came in, I
came in for a drink. I mean, soda. - I think we can manage that. - You race sled dogs?
- Well, I try to. Kinda still learning. - I can't believe people
make dogs race in the snow. - Are you kidding? They love it. They're bred for it. Once you have them hooked in, it's hard to keep
them from running. - How come you didn't win? - My lead dog isn't very good. Takes a very special
dog to be a good lead. - I have the most
special dog in the town. Because he's part wolf. (Ozz coughing) - Ozz, are you still trying
to smoke those things? You can practice your
bad habit outside. There's no smoking in here. (Jack laughing) - Hey, what's so
funny, butt-face? Oh, I see you got
yourself a new girlfriend. Sure she's not too
mature for you? - I'm mature enough to know
that smoking is for losers. (scoffs) - How would you like to wear
that ice cream on your head? - Hey, hey, come on. - Ozz, you're finished now. - Okay. - So this wolf dog you found, maybe he'd make a
good lead sled dog. - Maybe, but I'm taking
him home to Boston. - I wish he wandered
into my garage. Strong as any dog I've ever seen and smart enough to be
a lead dog, I can tell. (Buck barking) Ah, he's learning. Hey, just for fun, why don't we get the sled
harness, see how he takes to it. What? Afraid he's not smart enough? - Let's go get the harness. You'll see.
(Buck whimpers) - Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on now. Where'd you get that
animal, little girl? - He was in our garage. - Ah-ha, yeah.
- Strong, Pa, isn't he? Look at the size of him.
- Shh! (suspenseful music) So you say you found him? Well, he looks wild to me. (Buck barking) - Well, he's not.
- Here's the thing. We found that animal not
five days ago in the wild. He was stalking a moose
up Horseman's Ridge. We caught him, put a rope on
him, but he give us the slip. That's right, Ozz
here, he'll tell you. - Right. That's right, we
found that animal. He's ours.
- No, he's not. - Something I can
help you with, Heep? - Well, we were just
telling little missy here, thanks for finding our wolf-dog. - What are you talking about? - We found that dog ourselves. Put a rope on it, ready to
break, he gave us the slip. - Any proof of that? - Sure. - That's right. - That's not good enough, Heep. Mind if I ask what
you're doing here? - Ah, sure, we just come down
the road to buy some eggs. - Oh, that's two doors down. - So it is. (Buck barking) - We'll be saying good
day to you then, Heep. - You're not going to let
them take Buck, are you? - No, no, no, no,
no, don't worry. (gentle instrumental music) - [Ryan] Grandpa, I wanna
find out what happens to Buck. - Buck was put on a ship and
sailed for seven long days. At the end of his journey, he found himself in the
strange new land of Alaska. It was a land of
new experiences. And the newest for him was
the experience of snow. It wasn't like anything
he'd seen before. But there was a new
surprise to come. Buck was strapped into a harness such as he'd seen put
on horses at home. (vibrant music) Buck learned to run as a team. Slowly came to accept
his new station in life. At night, since the men
wouldn't let him sleep in the warm tent, he had to
learn from the other dogs how a Yukon dog prepares
its own cozy bed. (vibrant music) - Oh, morning, Bill. Sorry to bother you so early. - Always happy to see you, Rene. - Um, Heep here says
that you've got his dog. - Well, I don't know about that. Came round a few days ago. Dr. Spencer said
it was near death. My granddaughter pretty
much nursed it back to life. - Look, it's a wolf. Bill, that ain't no
pet for a little girl. - I'm not that little
and you're a liar. - Shh, Ryan. - Well, there, you better teach
that little city girl here some manners, Bill. (Buck whimpers) I just wanna thank you. Thank you for taking
care of our dog. We'll have him back now. - I would need
some proof of that. - What kind of proof you want? We found him. Now I want--
(Buck barking) Well, he's got spirit and that's
how come we want him back. Anyway, he takes to the
boy more than me, Oswald. (Buck whimpering) He bonds with the boy. Is that the kind of proof you're
looking for, huh, Sheriff? - Well, I'm not a judge. The legal thing to do would be to put the animal in the pound until the matter could
be settled in court. - No way, Buck is ours. - First of all,
this little girl, she doesn't even
live around here. Second, I have the best sled
team in this entire valley and that'd be a fittin'
place for that dog. - I bet you're not that good. I bet Jack is better. (Heep laughing) If you don't think so, why don't you race him?
- What? - Now, there's an idea. Why don't you two have a race, and the winner takes
claim of the animal? (Buck whimpers) - What kind of race? - How about the last loop of
the Race to the Sky course? That's a good couple miles. What do you say, Jack?
- I-- - Is it okay if Buck
could be on our team? (laughing)
- Oh! It'd take five months to
get that dog sled trained. Besides, take someone
a hell of a lot better than Jack Ferguson.
(both laughing) Ferguson. - We'll do it. Two weeks from today. - If you're not too scared. (Heep laughing) - The winner of the race
takes claim to the dog. (Buck barks) Um, the wolf.
(Buck barks) To Buck.
(Buck whimpers) - Fair enough. Move your butt. (Buck whimpering) Where you think you're going? Get in the back. - What for? - 'Cause I don't want that
bacon grease all over my seats. Get in the back. - But, Pa, it's freezing. - It's fine with me. Walk home then. (Ozz sighs) (wolf howling) - Ah. (wolf howling) - If you want the dogs to
start running, you say hike. If you want them to
go right, you say gee. If you want them to
go left, you say haw. - How do you say whoa? - Easy, whoa. - When do you say mush? - Never, that's only in movies. (playful music) (Ryan giggles) - [Ryan] You'd better run.
(Jack laughing) Gotcha. (Jack grunting) (Ryan laughing) (Jack grunting) - [Jack] Watch it there. - [Ryan] Leave me alone. (Jack laughing) Hey.
- Gotcha. - In time, Buck
grew strong as iron. His sight and scent
became remarkably keen. Instincts, long dead,
became alive again. He was growing at home
in his wild surroundings. And Buck knew that his life
would never be the same again. - Do you think we
could win the race? We have to if I
want to keep Buck. - Ry, you know that's up
to your mother and father. Even if you win the race, it
may not even be up to them. It may be up to Buck. - Anyway, we're gonna win. - Now it's time
for the big test. A sled dog has to get
along with his teammates. See him, huh?
(dogs whining) That's our new lead dog. It's Buck, okay? Gotta listen to him. Hike! I said, hike. (Buck barking)
(playful music) - [Ryan] Way to go, Buck! - Hey, he's making them run. Well, looks like
he's the leader. They're really running. We just might have a
sled dog after all. - Only for the race. Don't forget, I'm taking
him home to Boston. - Uh-oh, it's Tracy. She's the prettiest
girl in town. She takes piano
lessons from my mom. - Hi, Jack. - Hi, Tracy. We're just training this canine. - Well, it looks like you have
your work cut out for you. - It's a new leash. - Good luck with your dog.
(Buck whimpers) - It's a new leash. - Do you always act
that weird around her? - Weird? - She likes you. - You're crazy. - [Bill] Hey, Ry, I've gotta
pick up some supplies in town. How about I drop you off so
you can do some exploring? - [Ryan] Grandpa, I've already
seen everything in town. - [Bill] Oh, no, you haven't. (playful music) - [Ryan] I need a whole bunch
more of that food, please. - I don't blame you. I finally tried some myself. It's delicious. (suspenseful music) - Hey. Why are you tracking me? - What are you doing? - A lot of this
stuff is kinda silly. I never really
noticed it before. You know what I really need? A pair of McHenry waterproof
snow boots, like Jack's. - You aren't afraid of
looking like a local? - I can't train Buck
without some good boots. - Okay, well, we'll see if we
can find you a pair in town. - Hey, it's story time. - Over the next five months, Buck and the dog team
traveled 2,500 miles in the coldest
weather of the year. (dramatic music) When they arrived at Skagway,
the dogs were dead tired. Fresh dogs were
called to replace them and the tired out
dogs were sold. Buck's team was purchased
by a trio of strangers. There was Charles, who grew up working in
his father's barber shop. His wife Mercedes, who has never done a
day of work in her life. And Mercedes' brother
Hal was a mean cuss who played cards for a living. None of them had the slightest
business being in the Yukon. But they came to Alaska,
like so many others, expecting to pick up a
fortune in gold nuggets right off the ground. Buck was unhappy working
for these three greenhorns. They knew nothing about dogs and even less
about dog sledding. They worked the dogs to the
bone and ran out of dog food when they were still 100
miles from their destination. When the dogs stopped pulling,
Hal beat Buck with a stick. Luckily, they came upon a camp of a prospector
named John Thornton. Thornton was a strong man. But even he was nearly brought
to tears by this scene. He roared at Hal, "If you beat that dog
again, I'll kill you!" Thornton cut Buck
loose from the sled. Terrified, Hal,
Charles and Mercedes pushed half their
supplies off the sled and proceeded down the trail. Thornton warned them
not to go further because the ice on the
river would soon break up. But they ignored him. And they were never seen again. - Did Buck finally
find the human he was supposed to be with? - You don't want me to ruin
the rest of the story, do you? - Hey, Grandpa, what's the
deal with that scary man I saw in town? - Hatcher? I don't know much about him. Lives in a cabin up on the
mountain, keeps to himself. Some say he's an escaped
convict hiding out. They say he catches
rabbits with his bare hands and eats them raw. When there aren't any
rabbits, he eats rocks. (chuckling) Every town needs some character
folks can spin rumors about. Far as I know, Hatcher
never bothered anyone. (Buck whimpering) - What's wrong? Aren't you hungry? (playful music) - Good morning, Jolene. - Is it? Go tell that to my chickens,
if you can find them. - I'm not sure I follow. - Two of my chickens
disappeared last night. There are feathers
all over the place. - And you suspect
foul play. (chuckling) So how can I help you? - For starters, Bill, you
can buy me two new chickens. (chuckling)
- Why would I buy you-- - I am sure it is that animal you are keeping in your garage. - [Bill] He hasn't been
any trouble to anyone. - He's a menace.
- Hi. - Child, I have seen
you with that animal. He ate two of my chickens. - No, he didn't. He stays in the
garage all night. He's a good wolf. Dog. - All I can say is any more
of my chickens goes a missin' and I will have to
call the sheriff, have him take that animal
out and put it down. - Don't worry, Jolene, we'll make sure he
doesn't bother anyone. From now on, we'll have
to keep Buck tied up. I don't suppose
he'll like it much. - Who cares about some
dumb chickens, anyway? - Hold it right
there, young lady. Maybe it's time to take
Buck back into the wild. Maybe that would be
better for everyone. - He's going to win that race and show everyone
that he's a good pet. And Mom and Dad will
let me keep him, and Brittney and
Chloe will be jealous. - Is that all you want him for? - No, he's my friend. - [Heep] Get a move on,
boy, we don't got all day. - The dogs haven't been
running too good, Pa. I think maybe it's the cheap
dog food you keep buying. You know, they need meat. I wouldn't mind some, either. Can I buy a pair of
gloves in town today, Pa? My hands is froze. - You lost the pair I
bought you last year. Now, why am I gonna waste
money, buy you another pair? You're just gonna
lose those, too. - You think our dogs
will win the race, Pa? (Heep sighs deeply) - It ain't about
the dogs, all right? It's how much brains
the driver has. - You think I got more
brains than Jack Ferguson? - Wouldn't bet the truck on it. Ah, it don't matter. I got brains enough
for both of us. Close up the gate, let's go. - Do you think I'll be able
to bring Buck home with me? - I don't know, Ry. I'm not sure how much
he'll like the city. - If Mom and Dad
won't let me have him, I want you to keep him. - Well, let's just worry
about winning this race. (Buck barks) Ozz is pretty good on a sled. Especially if he doesn't
listen to his dad. - Why does a jerk like
that even race dogs? - I'm not sure I can beat him. I'm not sure at all. - As Grandma used to say, "Bless this food and
us that eats it." - Amen. - Okay, this is the first time
I made pudding all by myself, so tell me the truth. - Hmm. - Do you like it? - It's interesting. - We were almost out of regular
milk so I used buttermilk. - Just the thing.
(phone ringing) Hello. Hi, Paula. Yes, she's right here. It's your mother. - Hi, Mom. I have a surprise for you. Wait till you see it, okay? Love you. She wants to talk to you.
- Okay. Ryan, go make sure
that Buck is tied up. Hi, Paula. Yeah, she's having a great time. Learning dog sledding,
believe it or not. Yeah, we're talking about
the same little Ryan. Listen, Paula, I
don't wanna interfere, but Ryan has gotten
it into her head that she's gonna bring
this dog back to Boston. It's a large dog, part wolf. Showed up as a stray
a few days ago. Yes, well, that's
what I thought. Yeah, well, I can't see it
living in the city either. I'll keep you posted. (Buck barking) - You have to behave or you'll
be in really big trouble. And you won't be able to
come back to Boston with me. (Buck whimpers) I hope you didn't
eat those chickens. But if you did, I know you
weren't trying to be bad. (Buck barks) This should keep
you out of trouble. Good night, Buck. - Buck's wounds healed. His muscles swelled out and the life came
back into his eyes. He grew quickly to
love his new master. After all, this man
had saved his life. Buck knew no greater joy than
Thornton's rough embrace. But in spite of this great
love, the primitive nature that the Yukon had
aroused in Buck remained. There was something in the
forest that called to him, and he felt compelled to answer. He took to wandering on his
own for hours, even days, but the love for John
Thornton always drew him back, at least for now. Why he did this, he did not
know, nor did he wonder. But the love for John
Thornton always drew him back. - Thanks, Grandpa.
- Mm-hmm. - Grandpa?
- Mm-hmm? - Am I a tomboy? - Ah, that's a silly word. I'm not sure what it means,
but I don't think it fits you. - I'm never going to be like
the Beacon Hill girls, am I? - Do you think your
mother is a tomboy? - No way. - Let me show you something. That's your mother. - She used to play softball?
- No, baseball. Fast pitch. She used to beg me
to let her play. I was afraid she'd get
hurt, but I finally gave in. Turned out to be the best
shortstop in Bristol County. And on top of that, she
became homecoming queen. - Grandpa, Jack says
that Buck is ready for a cross country run. - Oh. - He wants to take the team
up to Cold Creek Trail. He said I can ride
in the basket. - Oh. - I told him you would say
okay because you trust me. - I'm not sure I trust Buck. And that's unfamiliar
country to you. - Not to Jack. Please? You let Mom play baseball. - I don't want you to go
any further than a mile. That way you can walk
back if you have to. - But that's not
very far at all. - These trails are
covered in snow. It would be easy to get lost. I know Jack is a good boy, but your parents trust
me to take care of you. - But a mile? - Promise me you'll stay close. - I promise. - Hmm. All right, you ready? Remember to keep your
arms and your hands in. - Let's show these other guys what a real sled
dog can do, okay? - All right. Ready to go? - Try and stop us. We might make it all
the way to the pass. - I was about to tell you, Jack. I promised Grandpa we
would only go a mile. - It's your first time out. If you're taking Buttercup,
I want you to stay close. - Buttercup? Sure, no problem, Mr. Hale. - Okay.
- We'll be back safe. We'll just have to make the
run a couple of times, okay? Can you pull the
snow hook for me? - All right. You're free to go. - Hike, hike!
(Buck barking) - Go Buck! (vibrant music) - They're really running. I wish we could keep going. - Maybe I can talk Grandpa into letting us go
farther tomorrow. (dogs barking) - Whoa, whoa! Buck, whoa! Buck, whoa, whoa! Whoa, Buck, whoa! - Stop that! - Buck, Ranger, Sparks,
Pepper, whoa, whoa! (Ryan screaming) (dogs barking) (Buck panting) Are you okay? - I think so. Are you? - I twisted my ankle. Oh, no, it's gonna take
hours to untangle them. (dogs whining) Buck, come here, come here. I need you to
listen to me, okay? I don't know what you were
chasing after back there but I need you to
listen, all right? Now, I'm gonna
unhook your harness, so I can untangle all
these lines, okay? Stay. (Buck barking) - Buck! Buck, come back! Where do you think he went? - Back into the wild. - He'll come back. He has too. He'll come back, won't he? - Right now we have
bigger problems. Like, how we're gonna
get out of here? No service. - Should we be worried? - Wouldn't help any. I mean, your grandpa
knows we're out here. He'll come looking for
us sooner or later. - You can't tell him that
Buck ran off the trail. - Why not? - Because, he'll say
that Buck is too wild. We'll just tell him
that it was my fault. That I wanted to keep going. It's cold. - Yeah. (dogs whining) (dramatic music) (Buck panting) (Buck barking) (dogs whining) - Buck!
(Buck barking) (vibrant music) - [Jack] Hey, Buck. (dramatic music) - Well, now, what are you two
doing all the way out here? - We were running the sled. The dogs got carried
away, we crashed. - Your dog found my cabin. Wouldn't stop barking
until I followed him. (Buck barks) You okay? - Jack hurt his ankle. - It's just a twist. We're a little cold,
but we're fine. - Well, you better come with me. It's not far. We can leave the
dogs here for now. There you go. Sheriff, let Bill Hale know
that I have his granddaughter and the Ferguson
boy up in my cabin. Had a little sledding accident
and had to be rescued. As soon as they warm up, I'll bring them
down on the snowcat. - [Rene] I'll let him know, Roy. He's gonna be real
glad to hear it. He's been calling for
the last hour, frantic. - Be sure to let him know that his granddaughter
is just fine. I'll see you in a while. - What do you do up here? - I live. - Is that your dog? - Kingo. Passed away last fall. Had more sense than
any human I ever knew. Good companion and the
best work dog ever was. - You must really miss him. - Like I'd miss an arm. Good thing it didn't
get dark on you. - I wasn't afraid. - Anyway, you'll see
your grandpa soon enough. - Now I'm afraid. - Well, I guess you should be. - [Bill] You promised. - Grandpa, I--
- You went directly against my wishes. And more importantly, my orders.
- I know. - You promised me and
you did it anyway. What's a promise worth,
if you don't keep it? You, at least, are just a child, but Jack should know better. - It's my fault,
Grandpa, not Jack's. I'm the one who said
to go a little further, but the dogs took off. Buck didn't wanna stop. - I had a feeling that
animal was gonna be trouble. - Buck is not trouble. Buck saved our lives. - I'm not convinced of that, Ry. I noticed you've
fallen very far behind in your homework, too. I'm disappointed. - Grandpa, are you going
to read me the story? - Not tonight. You need to think about
what you did today and why. I think we can forget about
you having anything to do with that race next Saturday. - But Grandpa--
- Get to bed. (doorbell ringing) - Brought you some doughnuts. I wanna apologize for yesterday. I should have known better. - I'm just glad you
both came back safely. - You know what? I'm not gonna run the race. - Oh. - [Jack] I'm just not
that good on a sled yet. - I don't know, Jack.
- I do. Anyway, take care. - Whatcha doing? - I have to write
a paper on my trip. - Ah. Finish your homework? - I even did the extra credit. - My goodness, I'm proud of you. Ry, you remember your grandma? - She was really nice. - You know she left
me this summer. One day she was down at
the store to get us dinner, and she had a heart attack and died before they
could even call a doctor. No one called me at
first, so I didn't know. I waited for her to come home. I just stared at
the door waiting. So, you understand
why I was upset when you didn't come
back right away. I was scared that you
might not come back at all. - I'm sorry, Grandpa. (wolf howling) - Shall I read the rest
of Call of the Wild? When we last left off, Buck was happy living in the
wilderness with Thornton. To Buck, it was
boundless delight. Hunting, fishing, and wandering
through strange places with his new master. But the call still sounded
in the depths of the forest. It filled Buck with great
unrest and wild yearnings for what he did not know. Buck began staying away from
camp for days at a time. Old memories were
coming upon him, memories of his ancestors. He found an old moose, and for
three days hunted the moose until the moose tired and
Buck brought him down. - He killed a moose? - Mm-hmm. When Buck returned
to Thornton's camp, he came upon a group of
men who had robbed Thornton and beaten him badly. Buck hurled himself
upon the men in a frenzy and they fled terrified
into the woods. Buck found that his
beloved master was dead. (Buck whining) - I don't like
this book anymore. I don't wanna read
any more of it. - You won't understand the story
if you don't hear the rest. - That's okay. I wanna go to sleep. - Getting ready
for the big race? - Called it off. - Why? - Probably won't win anyway. - How do you know
unless you try? I've been telling
everybody at school how hard you've been
working for this. I wanna be able
to say I knew you before you were a champion. - You've been talking about me? - [Man] Hey, Jack, good luck
with that race this weekend. - [Man] We're rootin' for ya. - I gotta get back to work. (owl hooting) (wolf howling) (clock chiming) - [Ryan] This is the story
of my trip to Montana. Before I came here, I didn't know the world
could be so beautiful. (gentle instrumental music) Let me tell you about Jack. He is the nicest
boy I've ever met, and he has taught me
so much about dogs. I almost forgot
to tell you about the best part of
Montana, my Grandpa. He knows everything
there is to know, even though sometimes
I wish he didn't. He used to be married,
but my grandma died. I really miss her
because she was nice. I bet Grandpa misses her, too. But he's a grownup,
so he can't be sad. If you ask me, Grandma
is with God now, watching Grandpa
like a special angel, even though he doesn't see her. But I think it's true. The end. - What's up, Jack? - I've decided to run that race. I mean, who says
I'm not good enough? (Bill chuckling) And you know what? I'm gonna win. - Well, that's the spirit. Well, what are you waiting for? He's gonna need some help. Go on.
- Really? - Yeah!
- Thanks, Grandpa! (vibrant music) Come on Jack, we've only
got a day to get ready. (Bill snoring) (dogs barking)
(horn blaring) - Oh, Bill. (chuckling) - Hey, Sparks. How's he doing? - How are my old fellas, huh? How's my lead dog? Yes, good boy, love
you, you good boy. - If you don't win, you're gonna have to
go live with Mr. Heep. You know you wouldn't want that. - Why don't you let Buck decide? He's too much wolf
for you, girly. One of these days he's
gonna turn on you. Oh, yes he is gonna rip
your face clean off. You're gonna be nothing
but eyeballs and blood. (Heep growling)
(Buck barks) (laughing) I'm just kidding with you. I'm just kidding. Do you mind if I wish him luck? (Buck barking) You have a good race. I'll be waiting for
you at the finish line. And you will be
coming home with me. (dogs barking) - It's time to start. Sleds are on their marks. Let's make this a
nice, friendly race. Let's have some fun. (crowd cheering)
(dogs barking) - You know exactly what to do. I put them dog treats in
both your coat pockets. If ol' Jack gets too close, you
just drop them on the trail. His dogs will give up
any idea of racing. - Jack, are you sure
you want me to come? It's extra weight
for the dogs to pull. - I know, but we're a team. - All right, wear
this for good luck. Besides, it'll keep you warm. - How do I look? - Ha, you look like a winner. - You don't win this race, you don't bother coming
home, you hear me? - Yeah, yeah. - Good luck kids. - Ozz, listen, I
iced his snow hook, so you're gonna
get a head start. - Uh-huh, uh-huh. (Buck barking)
(crowd cheering and clapping) - On your mark. Get set. Go!
(gun fires) - Hike, hike!
(vibrant music) - It's stuck.
- Come on. - [Tracy] Come on, Jack! - Hike, let's go! Hike! - Come on, go, go, go, go, go! (Buck panting) - [Ozz] Hike! - [Jack] Come on, boys,
let's win this thing! Faster, faster! - [Ryan] Come on, come on, Buck! - [Jack] Go, Buck! - Come on, you mutts, hike! - Jack, we gotta catch them. - Come on. - Come on, wolf, hike, hike! Ha, ha, ride like the wind. (Ozz laughing) - Ringo, Sparks, Pepper, go, go! - Come on, Buck, you can do it. - Come on, you mutts! Pa will kill me if we
don't win this thing. - Come on, Buck. You can do it, Buck!
- Hike! Go Buck! (Ozz laughing) Hike, hike!
- Come on, Buck! - Hike, hike! (dogs panting) Hike, hike! - Go Buck, come on! - No, I can't let them catch us. Hike! (crowd cheering and clapping) Come on, we can win this. - That's it, Jack! Let them run! - [Tracy] Come on, Jack! - Easy now, stay
clear of Heep's team. - [Ozz] Oh, no. - Come on, guys,
let's go, let's go! We got him, we got him!
- Yay! - Wait till you
get a clear pass! - I think Jack knows
what he's doing. - I believe he does. And so does that little girl. - Hike, hike! - Yay!
- Whoo! (crowd cheering and clapping) Whoo-hoo! - Whoo! - [Bill] Come on, Jack, yes! - Hike! - Damn it, Ozz, ice him! Hit him with the ice! - Come on, Buck! - [Tracy] Looking good! Whoo! Way to go.
- Hey, Jack! - What's the matter
with you? (mumbles) I told you to ice him! I told you to ice him! Doggonit. - You ran a good race. - You did too, Ozz. - Here, for your dogs. You know, I'm sorry
about everything. Maybe I'll see you
guys around sometime. I graduate next year and
then I'm going to college. Haven't told my pa yet. Thanks. - Congratulations. - Sheriff! Sheriff, that was
not a fair race. They had two mushers. They ought to be disqualified. - Oh, you lost fair and square. - Wasn't fair to run
that wolf, neither. - Heep, shut your trap.
- I won! That wasn't a fair
race and you know it. (Buck barking) Chuck, who wants that
damn mongrel, anyway? (Buck barking and growling) - Buck, stop! Buck, no one wants to hurt you. - Get him off me! Help, help, he's a wild animal! You all saw that! He's a wild animal, I tell ya! Well, you better put him down. I won't press charges. I'll pull stakes on
this crummy town anyway! (Buck growling) Go some place where
it don't smell so bad! (Buck barking) Stupid little town. I'm going north. But I might be back. - Bill, it looks like there's
still too much wild in Buck. I can't really allow him
to stay in town anymore. - I'll take him back to Boston. (Buck whimpering) - I spoke with your
parents last night and I told them about Buck. You can't bring a
wolf back to the city. Okay? - When I tied him up with
the leash, he got out. And I don't think it was
the first time, either. I think he ate
those chickens, too. I meant to tell you but I didn't
want you to take him away. I guess he's not
a very good pet. - Ry, he's a wolf. He's a great wolf,
but he is a wolf. He just has to be
in the right place. - Can he go back to the woods? - No, he can't do that. He's too used to being
where the living is fat. He'd just come back down again. (Buck whimpers) I really don't have any choice. I'm gonna have to
take him to the pound. Why don't you say
goodbye to him? (Buck whimpering)
(Ryan crying) Ry, honey? Okay, you're a brave girl. - No! I won't let you take him! You can't take
Buck to the pound. No! Buck! I love you, Buck. - I could use a good dog. Be useful to me. (Hatcher laughing) - Well, he seems to like
you, that's for sure. - Yeah. - Sheriff? - Well, as long as he
stays at the cabin, I have no objection. - I think he'll
like it up there. I think he'll like it just fine. One thing, though, we'll have to get him
a different collar. (all laughing) - John Thornton was dead. The last tie was broken. The claims of man no
longer bound Buck. But the natives of these
lands still tell a story. It is a story of a ghost dog that runs at the
head of the pack. They are afraid
of this ghost dog, for it has a cunning
greater than they, stealing from their camps, robbing their traps, and
defying their bravest hunters. They say he is a great,
gloriously-coated wolf, unlike all other wolves. He sings the song
of the Yukon wolf, (vibrant music) (Buck howling) which is the song of the pack. Thanks, Rene. - You're welcome.
- All right. (Rene laughing) (puppy whimpering) - Oh, my gosh, for me? - I know she's a little small. - She's perfect. - What do you suppose Brittney and Chloe are
gonna think of this? - Who cares what they think. (Bill laughing) I have the perfect name for her. - Oh? - Buttercup. (both laughing)
(Buttercup whimpering) This was the best trip ever. I love you, Grandpa. - [Bill] I love you, too. - Heel. Heel! Good boy. Good boy. That's a good boy. ♪ Like the beat of your heart ♪ ♪ The flicker of flame ♪ ♪ The feel of the wind ♪ ♪ Or the blood in your veins ♪ ♪ Like a river that runs ♪ ♪ Cuts a hole right through ♪ ♪ There's nothing to say ♪ ♪ Gotta do whatcha gotta do ♪ ♪ Like the cry of the wolf ♪ ♪ Or the love of a child ♪ ♪ Something deep in your soul ♪ ♪ Like a burning desire ♪ ♪ It's the call of the wild ♪ ♪ Doesn't make much sense ♪ ♪ How can I survive ♪ ♪ With no defense ♪ ♪ But the call of the wild ♪ ♪ If it speaks to you ♪ ♪ You can live for today ♪ ♪ 'Cause you've got
something to prove ♪ ♪ Like the voice from above ♪ ♪ It only knows the truth ♪ ♪ You can't turn away ♪ ♪ You can barely move ♪ ♪ There's a way to live free ♪ ♪ There's a chance
to break through ♪ ♪ When the call of the wild ♪ ♪ Is answered by you ♪ ♪ It's the call of the wild ♪ ♪ Doesn't make much sense ♪ ♪ But how can I survive ♪ ♪ With no defense ♪ ♪ But the call of the wild ♪ ♪ If it speaks to you ♪ ♪ You can live for today ♪ ♪ 'Cause you got
something to prove ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ (gentle instrumental music)
