 38,000 years ago on Earth - the twilight of a prehistoric era! No historian recorded their heartaches, triumphs or names. Yet Ayla and others like her left indelible imprints. They continued humankind's long march toward civilization?and away from more primitive groups like The Clan of the Cave Bear. Daryl Hannah is Ayla in a richly detailed, beautifully filmed screen version of Jean M. Auel's bestseller. Separated from her Cro-Magnon people by a calamitous earthquake, Ayla lives with a less-developed, male -dominated Neanderthal clan. She's different in appearance, in resourcefulness, in her uncommon defiance of social taboos. And from those differences arise conflicts that underscore the Cro-Magnons' evolutionary ascendancy and the Neanderthals' mysterious disappearance from our world. Storyline: At a time in prehistory when Neanderthals shared the Earth with early Homo sapiens, a band of cave-dwellers adopt blond and blue-eyed Ayla, a child of the "Others". As Ayla matures into a young woman of spirit and courage (unlike other women of the clan), she must fight for survival against the jealous bigotry of Broud, who will one day be clan leader. Based on Jean M. Auel's popular book, there is minimal narration; subtitles translate the Neanderthal gestures and primitive spoken language. Written by Susan Pudlo Cast Notes: Daryl Hannah (Ayla), Pamela Reed (Iza), James Remar (Creb), Thomas G. Waites (Broud), John Doolittle (Brun), Curtis Armstrong (Goov), Martin Doyle (Grod), Tony Montanaro (Zoug), Mike Muscat (Dorv), John Wardlow (Droog), Keith Wardlow (Crug), Karen Austin (Aba), Barbara Duncan (Uka), Gloria Lee (Oga), Janne Mortil (Ovra). User Comment: survivor. from Northern California, 15 February 2001 • If you liked Quest for Fire, you should enjoy this fictional visit to the origin's of civilization. I always loved the film's poster and my wife loved the book(s) but we missed the movie when it was in the theaters, partly because it wasn't receiving good reviews. When we rented this, we expected a turkey (we love to study bad film) but were pleasantly surprised. Simply said, this made a good "Sunday Morning" film to wake up to with a hot cup of java. I was a little disappointed that the look Daryl Hanna sports in the film's poster never fully comes to fruition in the movie (it got close in one scene) but none the less it was fun. Summary: Very entertaining, well worth the rent. User Comment: takatomon from a shaolin temple, 18 April 2003 • so far I have not seen one positive review for this film. I just don't get it. I honestly think it's a political assault against a film that threatens reviewers jealously guarded dogmas. For me the film is escapism at it's finest. it's a film about cave dwellers that doesn't condescend by having the characters speak in english, but instead in subtitled "neanderthal". It gives the film believability as far as I'm concerned. It's not a film about great conflicts and battles in pre-history, it's merely a character study about the final days of the Neanderthals and how they are threatened by Cro-Magnons (Daryl Hannah). It isn't an overly flowery movie. A couple of times it gets down and dirty in it's portrayal of mob rules mentality and racism. Maybe the film offends viewers because they see themselves in the characters and don't like the comparison. All of the unpleasant behaviors, although simplified in the movie, still happen today in "more civilized times". People are still threatened by anyone different, women still get raped, sexism hasn't gone away and populations are still ruled by ruthless dictators. For me, clan of the cave bear is a totally believeable story of life as it may have been 50,000 years ago. It protrays primitive people with primitave language, laws and beliefs with an honest affection. It's more of a "documentary" about Daryl Hanna's trials and tribulations in her adopted tribe than it is a plotted story. It comes off more like real life. While anyone is entitled not to like the movie for whatever reason, I find the movie highly entertaining and an excellent escape into the world as it might actually have been long ago. It easily holds a spot in my top 50 list for it's totally unique experience. I give it a 10 for bravely going where few films dare to and succeeding admirably without following boring hollywood formulas. It just doesn't deserve it's bad reviews at all. I don't give 10's out to many films either. Summary: All reviwers must be knee-jerk fundamentalists. IMDb Rating (05/13/05): 5.0/10 from 1,073 users
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