A classic example of the MGM family drama--sensitive, but not overly sentimental--The Yearling is the story of a backwoods Florida family eking out an existence, and the boy, Jody, whose lonesome love of all wild things is threatened as he approaches the threshold of adulthood. Claude Jarman, Jr., in his first acting role, won a special Academy Award for his portrayal of Jody; Gregory Peck plays the father, whose rustic wisdom lends him a painful understanding of his son; and Jane Wyman is very effective as Jody's hardbitten mother. They are supported by exquisite color visuals. Director Clarence Brown was a top MGM director from the silent era on; he was known throughout his career for his highly visual treatment of his subjects. The Yearling, his late masterpiece (his forties films also include National Velvet and Intruder in the Dust), evokes the warmth of the forest environment, and a moody, almost magical adventurism in the people who live there. A highlight of the film is the magnificent bear hunt, which seems to come alive with beauty and tension.