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Alaska
Movie

Alaska

1996 • Unknown

Woke Score
3
out of 10

Plot

Jake Barnes and his two kids, Sean and Jessie, have moved to Alaska after his wife died. He is a former airline pilot now delivering toilet paper across the mountains. During an emergency delivery in a storm his plane goes down somewhere in the mountains. Annoyed that the authorities aren't doing enough, Jessie and Sean set out on an adventure to find their father with the help of a polar bear which they have saved from a ferocious poacher. Conflict ensues.

Overall Series Review

Alaska is a 1996 family adventure film centered on two siblings, Jessie and Sean Barnes, who venture into the remote wilderness to find their father, a bush pilot who has crashed his plane. Their journey is fraught with danger as they navigate the landscape and are pursued by a ruthless poacher, but they are aided by a polar bear cub they saved. The narrative focuses on the themes of family, survival, self-sacrifice, and environmental protection. The story tracks the maturation of the rebellious teenage son, Sean, from a sulky, video-game-obsessed boy to a capable adventurer, while the initially resourceful daughter, Jessie, is noted for her bravery and concern for her brother. The main conflict is between the avarice and cruelty of the human poacher, an embodiment of greed, and the purity of nature, represented by the polar bear and the vast Alaskan setting. The film promotes the strength of familial bonds and the value of perseverance in the face of adversity. The spiritual elements are rooted in nature and native wisdom rather than a traditional, transcendent faith.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The core cast of the Barnes family and the villain are white, focusing the conflict on individual moral choices rather than race or identity groups. The casting appears colorblind for the leads. A First Nations boy is a friend to Jessie and aids the children after they are rescued from a river, but he is then marginalized and disappears from the central rescue mission plot. This marginalization of the non-white character keeps the score low, but the focus remains on the nuclear family's merit.

Oikophobia5/10

The central antagonist is a white male poacher, played by Charlton Heston, who is portrayed as a personification of 'avarice' and 'human greed' against the purity of nature and wildlife. This establishes a 'Noble Savage' type of theme where Western civilization, represented by the poacher's exploitation, is the corrupting force. The film also includes elements of 'native wisdom' and 'Indian mysticism' which serve as a form of spiritual guidance for the children in the wilderness.

Feminism3/10

The daughter, Jessie, is initially the most resourceful, strong, and sensible character, which is a mild 'Girl Boss' trope that counters the older brother's initial incompetence and sulking. However, the overall narrative arc centers on the brother's transformation from 'incompetent wimp' to 'tough-guy hero.' One critique notes a moment where Jessie's strength is temporarily sacrificed as she whines that she cannot climb anymore, allowing her brother to adopt a 'macho return' and carry her, suggesting the narrative ultimately serves to affirm the protective male role. The importance of family bonds is strongly promoted.

LGBTQ+1/10

The movie adheres to a normative structure, centering on the traditional, though widowed, male-female pairing of the father and his children as the core family unit. There are no explicit themes of alternative sexualities, deconstruction of the nuclear family, or gender ideology present in the narrative.

Anti-Theism5/10

The film does not contain direct vilification of Christianity, but it demonstrates a 'Spiritual Vacuum' by pointedly excluding a transcendent moral law. The characters, including the father facing a life-threatening emergency, show no expression of belief in God and do not consult a higher power. Instead of thanking God, the son thanks the polar bear 'for helping me find my way.' The narrative incorporates 'Indian mysticism' as an alternative spiritual source and frames morality as the struggle between human avarice and the goodness of nature, substituting nature-based morality for objective moral truth.