Product Details

• Actors: Amy Cale Peterson, Scott Speiser, Christopher McHutchen
• Directors: Ben Wagner
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Southbounders Production LLC
• DVD Release Date: August 21, 2007
• Run Time: 86 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BWM5T6
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,236 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but, could've been better, November 28, 2006

By 

Joseph Muir (Augusta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Southbounders (DVD)

Southbounders follows a young-lady named Olivia taking time off of college, to backpack the Appalachian Trail. She is obviously going against the flow, as flashback scenes show her parents as being completely unsupportive of said hike. She goes against the flow even more, by choosing to hike south, whereas the most popular way of hiking is north. I won't reveal any of the plot twists, to save that for any future viewers.

The film excells in cinematography, acting, and story-telling. It's no wonder that this amateur/indie film was so popular at film festivals/events across the country. The film fails, I think, in not showing "enough" of the actual beauty of the historic Appalachian Trail. I read that it was filmed in Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina/Tennessee, and Georgia. The film used flashbacks rather frequently; so, why no flashback to Olivia ("Next Step") reaching Mount Katahdin's peak, when she tells other hikers that it took her an "entire day" to reach the peak, Baxter Peak? A scene features three hikers on Mount Washington, mooning the historic cogwheel train. How many people actually associate that with Mount Washington? How many don't? The main indicator that they were actually in the White Mountains, was the severe ruggedness of the mountains. While in North Carolina/Tennessee, why no shots from Clingman's Dome, the highest peak on the entire Trail; why no shot at the site listed as one of the most popular weekend trip spots: the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where the Trail passes right by? While in Georgia, why no views from the ever-popular Neel Gap, the only place on the entire Trail where it passes through a building? Why no views atop the splendid and popular Blood Mountain, a mere 2.5-miles from Neel Gap? In essence, I don't think the movie showed enough mountain vistas.

Also, I realize that the film skipped most of the states states on the Trail (Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvannia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia). The pity with this, is that from the New York portion of the Trail, one can view New York City on a clear day; what a splendid cinematographic piece that would've been! Pennsylvannia is famous for its infamous rocks (as a friend of mine who hiked the Trail in 2002 put it, "The devil lives in the Pennsylvannia."). West Virginia has the actual headquarters for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Virginia has over 500-miles of Trail, about 1/4 of the entire Trail (causing a psychological beating for many aspiring thru-hikers). Perhaps the inclusion of all of this would've resulted in a 4+ hour movie; perhaps not. These are just my thoughts, and the result for my 3-star rating.

For the record, I am in the planning process to thru-hike, beginning early to mid-April 2007. The main reason I have "such knowledge" of the different portions of the Trail, is due to arduous research.

Also, this films in not rated. It contains some nudity, which I found to be no problem; it was quite humorous in all cases, and somewhat sick/disturbing in one sequence (but still funny). So, just a caution to prospective family viewers!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars purposeful, poignant, November 10, 2005

By 

Andrew "Andy" (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Southbounders (DVD)

I went to college in a town along the AT. For four years I marveled at the courage and commitment of the thru-hikers. To me, they were acting on an urge that I think exists in each of us: to set out on a journey of self-discovery. But what allows one to answer that call? Do those who take the first step often find what they're looking for? This film is a poignant portrayal of a young woman who confronts her ghosts on the AT. Through her experience, the story brings to life the journey's challenges (both physical and emotional), the simple pleasures of life on the trail, and the camaraderie that exists among hikers. I would recommend this to anyone who's ever been down, or wondered about, a road less traveled.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic look at the AT, January 1, 2006

By 

James C. Purdy "Millipede" (Newton MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Southbounders (DVD)

This is a very good dramatic film - screenplay, acting, directing. But from my point of view as a (northbound) through-hiker, this is a marvelous portrayal of what life on the trail is really like. Most of the trail footage is from the 100-Mile Wilderness and Saddleback region in Maine, plus some in the White Mountains and down south. This is real trail, real shelters, and realistic portrayal of hikers. A high point for people who have done the Maine section of the trail is the chapter set in Monson Maine, where the famous Shaw's hiker hostel is the location. Although an actor plays Keith Shaw, Sr., who died in 2005, people who knew Keith will recognize him sitting on the front steps in one scene.

If you're thinking about hiking the AT, check out the books and trai documentaries, but don't neglect this authentic view of the trail. It's a sweet story, too.

-Millipede GA-ME 2003.