Clan of the Cave bear is my all time favorite novel...so it's impossible that any movie could ever come close to one of the most compelling stories ever written.

This is a modified from book tale of a cro-magnon orphan girl who is painfully adopted into a clan of neanderthals. Her life is a struggle for acceptance surrounded by few who love her and many who don't.

Many members of the Clan do not accept her because she is different and it is long before she is integrated. She is the one responsible for finding their new cave as a home, which wins the clan favor.

There is the son of the leader (Broud) who despises Ayla for outshining him and grows to hate and belittle her. He ends up raping her, resulting in the birth of her son, Durc.

Twice, she is banished (cursed) for disobeying clan ways.

The Cons:

1) The movie (as they generally do) only displays a fragment of the detail found in the novel. A movie that would suit the content would be about ten hours long (not that any of us die hard fans would mind :) )

2) The content isn't always the same. There are events in the movie (like a blue eyed man from the gathering) that just never occured in the book. There were also manipulations (like Ayla birthing durc in isolation, and his deformity) that were key points in the novel that were overlooked in the movie.

3) Much more detail is needed to capture the story in full scale.

4) Some important characters were missing, or at least, we could have gotten to know them a little better.

The Pros:

1) Although lacking, the movie may interest people and encourage them to read the books. Once they do, they will be hooked, I guarantee.

2) Pamela Reed did a superb job. I couldn't have chosen a better Iza (Iza is the woman who adopts ayla as her daughter). Creb was a close second (Creb was her brother, a great holy man).

3) I actually read a review that stated that Auel (Author) was not unhappy with the film so the endorsement may help.

The bottom line: It is not my favorite movie, but it is part of my collection because of my love for the novel, the series that follows, and the characters that I have grown up with since I first picked up The Clan of the Cave Bear to read.



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older