RANCHER, FARMER, FISHERMAN

(directors: Susan Froemke/John Hoffman/Beth Aala; screenwriters: story by Deborah Dickson/based on the book “Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman: Conservation Heroes of the American Heartland” by Miriam Horn; cinematographers: Bob Richman, Buddy Squires, Thorsten Thielow; editors: Kathleen Dougherty, Jen Fineran, Flavia de Souza; music: Nathan Halpern; cast: Tom Brokaw; Runtime: 92; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Beth Aala, Susan Froemke, Miriam Horn; McGee Media/Discovery Channel,; 2017)

“Solid conservation documentary.“

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Co-directors Susan Froemke (“Wagner’s Dream”), Beth Aala (“Pool Party”) and John Hoffman (“First in Human”) of this solid conservation documentary produced by the Discovery Channel, base it on the book by Miriam Horn.

Going against the grain of this genre, it refuses to call out the environmental bad guys or talk politics in its quest to depict responsible environmental practices whereby conservation and capitalism can peacefully co-exist. Aided by the refreshing narration of the always reliable Tom Brokaw and the stunning landscapes taken from the mighty Mississippi River to the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, this pleasant film eagerly reminds us of the great natural resources that bless America.

The film tells the story of these ethical tree-huggers: Montana cattle rancher Dusty Crary, Kansas farmers Justin Knopf and Keith Thompson, and Gulf fisherman Wayne Werner, and their efforts to do the right thing so they can leave their children the land as a legacy they deserve.

REVIEWED ON 1/29/2018 GRADE: B