jarrodmcdonald-1 Many of Ernest Hemingway's stories have been transferred to film. Some of them have been very successful and deserve to be called classics. This is not one of those productions, however.It all started when someone thought Hemingway's book would make a great film. It probably could. But for now the best-laid plans have been set aside for a lack of action and excessive voice-over narration. Thirty-minutes into this belabored affair, one scratches his head and asks: why are the producers paying Spencer Tracy to read us the entire book, when he is a skilled performer and should be able to act it out? This story deserves more than a stationary old man in a boat submerged in an artificially painted sea.

lenavaughan Guess who's coming to dinner,,,,,,,if that one put a lump in your throat, this one will, too. The fisherman's love of the sea, his love for "the boy" and his desire to keep doing what he has always done. Harder at his age, but still his joy. I think we see an old soul in "the boy" and a lost art in Spencer Tracy.His time on the sea, alone, was so beautiful and his determination should make us all feel a little wimpy for complaining that minor aches and pains keep us, at times, from our appointed duties. His love for his craft does not lessen with his age or abilities. Every young reader should be required to read Hemingway...especially this one. Every old reader should read it again............or just watch this film It is very true to the spirit of the novel.

David Conrad It's a short story that should be impossible to translate into a visual medium, but surprisingly this quiet drama about an old man talking to himself in a boat works quite well as a movie. This version is moving and thought-provoking in the same ways as the novella. The B-reel of the huge, leaping marlin is real and impressive, and believably integrated with the footage of Spencer Tracy. The story is a great vehicle for Tracy's ability to project restraint and dignity, and his careworn face makes him an ideal choice for the role of the old fisherman even in the absence of any Cuban ancestry. The DVD special features are worth a look, too, as they show author Hemingway observing the production, contributing to it as a technical adviser, and fishing during the shoot.

wes-connors After eighty-four days without a catch, seafaring "old man" Spencer Tracy (as Santiago) finds his prowess as a Cuban fisherman slipping away. Hero-worshiping young sidekick Felipe Pazos (as Manolin) is advised, by his parents, to seek fairer waters with another mate - but, the boy won't abandon Mr. Tracy. His unlucky streak ends when Tracy's small boat gets pulled to new waters, where he finds the biggest fish in the sea. As he struggles alone against the elements, you'll wonder who caught who… Like the classic Ernest Hemingway story from which it is adapted, there is much to read into "The Old Man and the Sea" - and Tracy earnestly tackles some of the reading, in frequent narrative interludes. The award-winning efforts by Tracy, director John Sturges, and cinematographer James Wong Howe (in color, this time) are certainly worth a look. The "National Board of Review" considered this the best picture of the year. But, this film doesn't catch the wave you can ride in the original story.****** The Old Man and the Sea (10/7/58) John Sturges ~ Spencer Tracy, Felipe Pazos Jr., Harry Bellaver