Andrew Kightlinger, Caitlin FitzGerald, Donn Fendler, drama, Ethan Slater, Griffin Wallace Henkel, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, Luke David Blumm, Mackenzie S. Stevens, Maine, Mason Cufari, Mount Katahdin, movies, Paul Sparks, reviews
January 4, 2025
by Carla Hay
Directed by Andrew Kightlinger
Culture Representation: Taking place in July 1939 in Maine, the dramatic film “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” (based on real events) features an all-white group of people representing the working-class and middle-class.
Culture Clash: A 12-year-old boy, who has a troubled relationship with his father, gets lost by himself on Maine’s Mount Katahdin.
Culture Audience: “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” will appeal primarily to people who like watching corny dramas about real-life children who went missing.
“Lost on a Mountain in Maine” tells the inspiring true story of how Donn Fendler survived being lost on Maine’s Mount Katahdin in 1939. Unfortunately, the hokey and trite way this story is told looks very fake and does a disservice to the real people. Although the outcome can easily be predicted, the movie fails to build enough suspense for it to rise above mediocrity. The real-life people involved in this story deserve a much better movie than what is presented here.
Directed by Andrew Kightlinger and written by Luke Paradise, “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” is adapted from the 1978 book co-written by Fendler and Joseph B. Egan. In July 1939, Fendler was 12 years old when he was lost on Mount Katahdin for nine days. Mount Katahdin is 5, 269 feet high and is the tallest mountain in Maine.
The beginning of the movie shows footage from a news interview of Junior York, an elderly man who was a real-life searcher in this rescue effort for Fendler. “By nine days,” York says, “we were looking for a body.” Throughout the movie there’s other real-life news footage of people who comment on what they remember about this crisis. These commenters include Donn Fendler’s fraternal twin brother Ryan Fendler, Donn’s childhood friend Fred Eaton and park ranger Dick Holmes. These news-footage interludes are somewhat distracting and take viewers out of the main scripted story.
“Lost on a Mountain in Maine” briefly shows the Fendler family in July 1939, before that fateful hike that led to Donn Fendler (played by Luke David Blumm) being trapped on Mount Katahdin. Donn lives in Newport, Maine, with his fraternal twin brother Ryan Fendler (played by Griffin Wallace Henkel) and their younger brother Tommy Fendler (played by Mason Cufari) and younger sister Patsy (played by Mackenzie S. Stevens), with the two younger siblings barely in the movie.
The kids’ mother and father have opposite parenting styles. Donald Fendler (played by Paul Sparks) is frequently away from home because he has to travel a lot for his job. When he’s at home, he’s often gruff, impatient and emotionally cold with the children. By contrast, Donald’s wife Ruth (played by Caitlin FitzGerald) is kind, nurturing and patient with the kids.
An early scene in the movie shows Donn and Ryan having an argument in the front yard of their family’s house, when Donald arrives and sees the twins having this conflict. Donald orders the boys to “duke it out” in a physical fight. Donn and Ryan are reluctant to hit each other. They are stopped just in time when Ruth goes outside to announce that dinner is ready.
Donald had promised to take Donn and Ryan on a fishing trip, but Donald announces during the family dinner that the fishing trip has been cancelled because Donald has to go back to work earlier than expected. The twins are disappointed, but Donald says he’ll make it up to them by taking them on a hiking trip to Mount Katahdin the next day. A local young man named Henry (played by Ethan Slater) will be their guide.
Donn isn’t keen about this sudden change of plans and walks away in a huff from the dinner table. Donald takes Donn aside and tells him, “My father was on the road a lot too. And I hated him for it.” It’s of little comfort to Donn, who mopes and sulks for most of the hiking trip.
Donald, Donn, Ryan and Henry start the mountain hike, which takes place on a dark and gloomy day, where there is heavy mist in certain areas. That’s the first sign that this hike is poorly planned. Donald also wears a fedora, a casual jacket, slacks and regular shoes that are all more suited for a walk in a park than a hike up Maine’s tallest mountain. Who does that? Someone with no common sense.
Donald says the obvious: “We’re not dressed for this type of weather.” Donald sees how misty everything is and suggests that they go back home. But stubborn Donn wants to prove to his father how “macho” he is, so Donn insists: “No! We’re going to the top! You want us to be men? Then let us be men!”
Someone needs to tell Donn that he’s a 12-year-old boy, not a man. Donald, as strict and stern he seems to be as a father, lets Donn rudely talk to him and inexplicably agrees to Donn’s orders for Donald to go back home with Ryan. Who’s the adult in charge here? Certainly not Donald in this moment. It should be noted that these ill-equipped hikers didn’t bring any emergency food, water or safety equipment.
Donald goes home with Ryan and lets Donn stay with Henry, who doesn’t really seem to know what he’s doing. The mist has turned into heavy fog. And then the most inevitable and predictable thing happens: Henry loses Donn and can’t find him.
Henry finds his way back to the bottom of the mountain to report that Donn is missing. Everyone is frantic and worried, of course. The rest of “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” shows what happens to Donn on the mountain and what happens when people join in the search for Donn.
“Lost on the Mountain in Maine” over-relies on slow-motion shots, in sappy attempts to drag out Donn’s ordeal. Meanwhile, a lot of the acting is stiff (especially from Sparks) and looks very awkward. FitzGerald gives the most natural-looking performance, but she’s not given much to do in a generic “worried wife/mother” role. “Lost in a Mountain in Maine” ends exactly like you think it will, because this story wouldn’t have been made into a movie unless it had a certain outcome. By the end of this hackneyed film, the only thing you’ll learn is this that ridiculous hike should never have happened in the first place.
Blue Fox Entertainment released “Lost on a Mountain in Maine” in U.S. cinemas on November 1, 2024.