Survival (1975) - full transcript

When they crash landing in a small plane, the Ryan family is stranded on a high-desert mesa. No food, no way to communicate with civilization, time is running out as they face a life and death race for survival.

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] God spoke at many times

and in many different ways

to our fathers through the prophets,

telling them little by
little about His plan.

But now in these days,

He has spoken to us through His Son,

to whom He has given everything,

and through whom He made
the world and its ages.

Solomon, one of the men of
old through whom God spoke,

tried to taste the knowledge
and the pleasures of the world



and found vanity of
vanities, all is vanity.

How many of us today are like Solomon,

tasting the knowledge and
the pleasures of this world,

power, sex, fame,

relying on possessions
and self-righteousness?

How long will God have patience with us

before He does something
drastic to get our attention?

Solomon with mere human wisdom

looked out on the world and observed

that generations come and generations go,

but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises and the sun sets,

as it goes panting back to where it rose.

The wind blows south and north,



here and there,

twisting back and forth,

and getting nowhere.

(gunshots firing)

(dramatic music)

(mountain lion growls)

(mountain lion screams)

And Solomon noticed that

the same fate overtakes
the wise man and the fool.

Alas, like the fool, a
wise man must also die.

Men are no better than beasts,

for men and animals breathe the same air,

and both die.

All go to one place,

the dust from which they came.

And I know this, that
whatever God does is final.

(majestic music)

(calm music)

- [Michael] But mom,
Jimmy's going, why can't I?

- Michael, I don't care
what Jimmy's going to do.

I'm not Jimmy's mother.

You're not going to any survival camp

where they allow a 12-year-old

to go tromping through a desert

filled with snakes and lizards and all--

- Oh mom, there's snakes
and lizards in Minnesota.

I survived last year.

- Michael, I don't care to
discuss this with you now.

I'm busy.

- But mom, I gotta know tonight.

Tomorrow is too late.

- Michael, what did I just
get through telling you?

- But mom, you just can't do this.

Only five of us qualified,

and you want me to go to
a stupid family reunion.

- Now look, you're going
on the trip to San Diego

with your father and your
sister and me tomorrow.

And one more word out of you

and you're going to be
grounded for one month.

- Debbie, tell mom I'm not a baby anymore.

- Michael, mom said no.

- Debbie, you're a traitor.

- [Carol] Well Debbie, thank you.

Do I owe this respect to
your new-found religion?

(apprehensive music)

- [Narrator] The Bible says that

because sentenced against an evil work

is not executed speedily,

therefore the heart of the sons of men

is fully set in them to do evil.

(concerned music)

- "A word of caution.

"The desert is beautiful and deadly.

"Danger is always present

"once you leave well-traveled roads.

"Not only strangers and
sightseers found this to be true,

"but many Southwesterners have
suffered the consequences."

Are you listening?

- Yeah.

- "Travel in the desert can
be an enjoyable experience,

"but it can also be a fatal
or near-fatal nightmare."

Sounds like mom was doing you a favor.

- Yeah, but Debbie,

she treats me like a baby.

If I sneeze, it's,
"Mike, put your shirt on.

"Mike, your nose is running."
- Mike, come on,

it's not as bad as all that.

- [Narrator] And Solomon also noticed that

even the wisest man who
says he knows everything

doesn't.

- Billy, I forgot more
about law enforcement

than you'll ever know.

Experience is what tells
you to watch your step.

It's what you get if you don't.

- Hank, you're behind the times.

Today we use computers
and Jeeps and choppers.

This isn't the Old West anymore.

I'm telling you this
for your own good, Hank.

You'll soon be the
laughingstock to this county.

Now I spent four years
studying law enforcement

and training at the police academy.

- Don't mean you know
how to blow your nose.

- Henry!

Dwayne McGraw's laying
up on Red Rock Road dead.

He's been mauled by a bear or a cat.

- What?

I was just over at his place last night,

found a steer had been killed,

said he thought a cat done it.

That just don't seem possible.

- Hank.

What do you make of this?

Why the live shells?

(gunshot fires)

(airplane rumbling)

- Hey listen, I'll see you
in a few minutes, all right?

- [Man] Okay, fine, yeah.

(people chattering)

(phone rings)

- [Michael] Hello?

- [Dave] Hi, Mike.

- Hi, Dave.

- Hey, how you doing?

You all set to fly tomorrow?

- I wanted to go to camp,

but mom and Debbie wanna show
me off to all our relatives.

Hey, maybe you could tell--

- Oh no you don't.

Don't get me in on this or
we'll both be in trouble.

Is Debbie there?

- Debbie, Dave's on the phone.

But really, Dave, mom and
dad will listen to you.

- [Dave] You better do
as your mom and dad say.

- Yeah.
- Don't you think?

- I guess so.

Here's Debbie.

- Hi, stranger.

Welcome home.

- Thanks, it's good to be home.

Say, I have these three stewardesses

who have offered to take me out to dinner,

and I told them if you were busy I'd go.

- David, come on.

- Are you busy?

- Well David, as a matter
of fact, I'm not busy.

- Aw, shucks.

How would you like to
go out with me tonight?

- Well that depends.

Last time we went out

you told everybody I was your aunt.

- Oh. (laughs)

No, I won't do that.

Tonight, you can be my sister.

(ominous music)

- [Billy] Hank, you okay?

You look pale.

- Yeah, I'm all right.

Come charging through the brush

with all the grace of a bull moose.

Is that what they teach
you kids at the academy?

- Hank, if that cat should
happen to attack you,

you just tell them what
a great law man you are.

By the time you're finished,

he will have died of old age.

- Look, we gotta get a
posse, organize a hunt.

- That'll take the rest of the day.

- Just how long do you
think it'll take if we walk?

- Hey look honey, I gotta
go, I have a meeting.

How about if I pick you up
tonight about nine o'clock?

(foreboding music)

(cougar yowling)

(gunshot fires)

(cougar growls)

- I don't know.

The ideology that mom and dad
have embraced all their lives

is so obviously materialistic.

It's just difficult to conceive

of them understanding what I've found.

I don't know.

I guess they're kind of like--

- They're just like you were, huh?

- [Debbie] That bad?

- Oh, you were stuck on
yourself when we first met.

- Oh, you know, I thought a big university

was where it was at,

education and status on campus.

But when I accepted Christ,

I discovered that important as it is,

an education alone is not the whole scene.

And then you, big boy,

big hotshot pilot and your classic line,

"Your trouble is, Debra,

"that you have the basis for knowledge,

"but you lack wisdom."

Boy that took a lot of nerve.

- We didn't like each
other much then, did we.

- [Debbie] I guess not.

- Here I was, perfect,

and you were a spoiled little rich girl

who needed a good spanking,

and I hit you right where
it did the most good,

right in the pride.

- Well, be patient.

The Lord's not done with me yet.

Soon maybe I'll be as perfect as you

and get my wings.

- Omaha Tower, this is
bonanza six-niner whiskey

ready for takeoff.

- [Man On Radio] Bonanza
six-niner whiskey,

clear to take off on
runway one four right.

- [David] Bonanza six nine whiskey.

- This is a nice airplane.

How do you make it pay?

- Well it belongs to a group
of Christian airline pilots.

We furnish the plane to
Christians and the Lord's work

just for the operating cost.

- [Howard] You don't make
any money doing that.

- [David] When you do
something for the Lord,

he supplies the need.

- [Howard] I wish he'd supply

a couple of so-called
Christians who owe me money.

(airplane roaring)

(breathtaking music)

- You just never give up, do you, Mike?

- Survival, huh?

I'll tell you how to survive, Mike.

Do unto others before they do unto you.

- You can't say that, Howard.

- Oh I was just being smart.

What time do you think we'll get there?

- Oh,

about six o'clock I'd say.

- We had a bear shot here a few years ago.

Jake, you remember,

shot by some fool hunter, only wounded,

bullet lines at the base of its brain.

Caused that animal so
much pain he went crazy,

become a killer.

Now if that's what we've got here,

and if that cat is alive,

men, we gotta find it.

- [Billy] Hank?

- Yeah?

- Where do you keep the coffee supply?

- Well I don't know what
could be easier to find.

It's in the back room on
a shelf in a cocoa tin.

Marked magic.

- Listen, Hank,

any animal that's cornered is gonna fight.

What makes you think
this cat's any different?

Could be dead.

- I heard Dwayne fired
eight shots in that cat.

He couldn't have missed all those times.

- Now you listen.

Dwayne fired four times.

He was so blame scared,

the rest of the time

he just ejected live
shells out on the ground.

That means that cat was still alive

after the first four shots were fired,

still able to kill.

He might be able to do it again.

- Are we on schedule?

- We'll have Santa Fe 10 minutes late,

but we'll make it up.

- Are we gonna fly over
the Superstition Mountains?

- Are you superstitious, Mike?

- Well I would be if I
was in those mountains.

People who go in there looking
for gold never come out.

- Did you read that in
your survival manual, Mike?

- It's true.

- A lot of people have
disappeared in those mountains.

That's a fact.

It could be the greed that
causes men to go in there

makes them turn against each other.

- Do we have to fly over those mountains?

- The Lord will protect us.

- Well just the same,

I don't wanna take any chances.

- How much gold do you think there is

in those mountains, Dave?

- In the lost Dutchman mine,
supposedly quite a bit.

- Why couldn't some large
corporate organization

just go in there and mine it?

- I don't know.

I suppose they could,

if they weren't too greedy.

- Let's not fly over them.

- Oh mom.

- Let's.

I'm curious.

But let's not waste a lot of time.

I wanna be in San Diego no later than six.

- Why do you have to be
there by six, Howard?

The reunion isn't until tomorrow.

- Wouldn't you kids like
to swim and relax tonight?

- It'd be nice, but we don't
have to be there by six.

- I wanna be there by six.

(despairing music)

What do you think, Mike?

- I think this is really great.

- See, if you'd gone to survival camp,

you wouldn't have had this opportunity.

- I guess the Lord had a
better idea, huh, Mike?

- What's all this talk about
the Lord all of a sudden?

What'd you do, join one of
those Jesus groups at school?

- Don't knock it, Howard.

It's changed her whole attitude.

- Oh really, how?

- That's what I've been
trying to tell you, daddy.

I've accepted Jesus Christ
as my personal savior.

Doesn't anybody have anything to say?

- What's there to say?

- I'd say it's exciting.

- It's exciting that she goes
away to college for two years

and comes home a fanatic?

- If when you say fanatic
you mean enthusiastic,

you're right.

She has a lot to be enthusiastic about.

- I think it's really a shame that

so many people wait until
they're in serious trouble

before going to God.

(hopeless music)

- The Superstition Mountains

are just beyond those red rocks.

I'll go a little lower so you
can get a better look, Mike.

- [Narrator] And Solomon said

as he came forth from his mother's womb,

naked shall he return as he came,

and taking nothing of his labor,

which he may carry it away in his hand.

(unpleasant music)

- There they are, Mike, about
20 miles straight ahead.

(eagle screeches)

(thudding)

- [Howard] What's the matter?

- We hit something.

(dramatic music)

We're losing altitude.

I think we can make it if we
land on that mesa up ahead.

I'll try to land on the wheels
instead of a belly landing,

so we might be able to fly it off.

(dreadful music)

Now listen to me.

Tighten your seat belts.

Once we're down, get out fast,

because there could be a fire.

(airplane rattling)

(doomed music)

Just before we hit, I'll say brace.

Everybody put your hands
and your head in your lap.

(airplane rattling)

(dramatic music)

Okay.

Brace!

(terror-stricken music)

(Carol screams)

- Mike.

Debbie.

Debbie.

- Oh, something fell on my foot.

- Are you all right, Howard?

- [David] Get away from the plane, hurry.

(urgent music)

- Don't touch my arm.

I think it's broken.

(troubled music)

Oh, my ribs.

My back.

- Hurry, get away, go on.

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] And the Bible says,

"He maketh this sun to rise
on the evil and the good.

"He sendeth rain on the
just and on the unjust."

(suspenseful music)

- [Billy] Say, Hank, why the trade?

- What trade?

- I'm a little surprised
an old saddle bum like you

would trade a Mustang for a Jeep.

- Well you been harping at me

about all this modern technology.

I figured it wouldn't be
wise not to try at least one.

- Maybe you'll change your
mind about the spider plane.

- Nope.

It's unnecessary, cost too much.

Besides, if I give in to you on that,

next thing you'll be needing
one of them computers.

- Why not?

It'll do half your work.

- Well that sounds good to me.

Maybe we oughta get two of them.

- This is bonanza six-niner whiskey.

Does anyone read?

(static crackles)

This is Bonanza six-niner whiskey.

Does anyone read?

(static crackles)

This is Bonanza six-niner whiskey.

Does anyone read?

(static crackles)

It's no use.

We'll just run down what's
left of the battery.

- Have you any idea where we are?

- Yeah, we're right here on this mesa.

The closest airport is over here.

And in between, a lot of nothing.

- How long will that battery last?

- There's no way to tell.

You see we can't run the
engine to charge the battery.

- So now what?

- We just try to conserve our
strength until they find us.

- [Howard] How will
anybody know we're down?

- Well when we left Santa Fe,

we had enough fuel to last for six hours.

If we don't arrive in
San Diego by six tonight,

they'll start checking
back over our flight plan

and find out that we refueled in Santa Fe,

and they'll know we're somewhere

between Santa Fe and San Diego.

- Oh that's just great.

That means they'll know we're somewhere

in the Western half of the United States.

- No, not quite.

As soon as we are confirmed down,

civil air patrol squadrons

in each of the states along our route

will start flying a grid
pattern til they locate us.

- How long you think it'll take?

- Figured it could be
as long as two weeks.

Could be four or five days,

but that's not likely.

- How hot is it here?

- It looks like a little over 100.

- Three days is the limit with no water.

- Billy, up to now,

your contribution to law
enforcement in this county

will amount to about as much
as an extra quart of water

going over Niagara Falls.

- Hank, you're so doggone stubborn.

An airplane would cost
about 35 bucks an hour.

If we found the cat in half the time,

it would save a bundle.

- Now you listen,

an airplane will only scare it.

I've been one of the
best lawmen in this state

for over 40 years,

and I'm telling you,
we'll find that animal

without all your modern methods.

- Hank, if we had a plane--

- That's the trouble with you kids today.

You're lazy.

In two days we'll have that animal,

and I'm gonna show you how.

- [Narrator] Words from a
wise man's mouth are gracious,

but the lips of a fool
will bring him to ruin.

His words begin with nonsense

and end in sheer madness.

The fool talks too much.

No man knows what is coming.

Without God, who really knows
what is going to happen?

- And when we catch up,
we simply corner it.

- It wouldn't be so bad
if we had a water source.

- Maybe there's water in that valley.

- Yeah, and then there might not be too.

Wait a minute.

- What?

- I don't know why I do this.

I got so busy trying to solve this problem

with my own wisdom

I forgot to pray about it.

- [Howard] Oh.

- Lord, forgive me for getting in your way

and trying with my own
wisdom to solve this problem.

Father, you know our need.

You know the end before the beginning.

We ask you now for your
wisdom and knowledge,

to see us through this according
to your will, not ours.

We commit this fully into your hands

as you have told us in your word

to cast our burdens onto your shoulders.

We ask it in Jesus's name.

Amen.

Okay, what we have to
do now is get a blanket

and make a lean-to.

- Do you want me to dig a
hole for a desert still?

- Good idea.

- What's a desert still, Mike?

- It's a survival technique

for getting water from
plants and sunshine.

(soaring music)

- Hey everybody look, an airplane!

- Hey, David's prayer worked!

- David, get on the radio, quick.

(hopeful music)

- This is bonanza six-niner whiskey.

Does anyone read?

(static crackles)

This is bonanza six-niner whiskey.

Does anyone read?

(static crackles)

This is bonanza six-niner whiskey.

Does anyone read?

(static crackles)

This is bonanza six-niner whiskey.

Does anyone read?

(worried music)

Well, there goes the radio.

Battery's dead now.

- That really blows my mind.

You pray to God and ask for
His help and what happens?

Man, either you've got a short circuit

or God isn't listening.

- Daddy, God doesn't answer
prayer always the way we want.

He knows our need and we
just have to trust Him.

- What we need is to find
a way out of this mess,

and we'd better start trying
to find a way to do it.

- Where'd you get the plastic, Mike?

- [Michael] Well, from
the dry cleaning covers

on dad's suits.

- Is this your desert still?

- [Michael] Well, it's
not quite finished yet.

- Well how does it work?

- [Howard] David?

- [Michael] Well I'll take this plastic

and I'll put it over the
hole so it's airtight.

Then I'll take a rock and
put it right in the middle.

Then the moisture from the plants

will drip down to this point
and go right in the cup.

- David.

- [David] Yeah?

- Is there any chance
at all of fixing this

and clearing a path to fly out?

- I hate to sound negative, Howard,

but I'm no mechanic.

Even if I were, we don't have the tools.

Besides, we don't have the fuel
even if we did get it fixed.

- [Debbie] David, daddy!

Everybody come here quick!

- Debbie, what's the matter?

- Oh look, there's a town.

- Where?

- Way over there, see it?

It's a long way off, but
I think we can make it.

- She's right, there is a town.

Looks like a good-sized one.

Why didn't we see that on our map?

- That town's 30 or 40 miles from here.

Our chart ends halfway in between.

It's not on the map.

- Well wouldn't it be possible
for one of us to go for help?

- That's a good two days walk.

I don't think any of us could
hack it in our condition.

- I could.

- No you could not.

You get that out of your head right now.

We'll stay here for four days.

- I think as long as
there's a reasonable chance

that one of us can make
it out of here for help,

we oughta try it.

- You're suggesting Mike go?

- I'm only suggesting
that we give some thought

to any possibility.

- Dad, let me go.

I can do it.

- Michael, forget it.

- How can we in good conscience

send a 12-year-old boy down there?

- I'm the only one who can go, dad,

and besides, what's so dangerous

about going from here to that town?

- The most dangerous part would be

for the one who had to tell your mother.

- No.

Absolutely not.

- Mom, if I don't go, we could all die.

Is that what you want?

- Michael, if you go down
there alone, you could die.

Is that what you want?

- Carol, we're not saying
that Mike should go.

We're just trying to think
the whole thing through.

- I think he could make it.

- There's a chance that he might not too.

- [Carol] No.

- But mom, what could possibly happen

between here and that town?

(dramatic music)

- Base, this is Hank.

Can you hear me?

- [Man On Radio] Go ahead, Hank.

- We're at Red Canyon.

Get two men up here as soon as you can.

John Rausch is here, dead.

Cat got him.

Also, call Doug.

Tell him I changed my
mind about that airplane.

(airplane roaring)

- David, I know that
Christ often teaches us

in circumstances like these,

but I'm scared.

- So am I,

a little.

This is the time we have to realize that

Satan wants to fill our
hearts with doubt and fear.

- Maybe that's why I'm afraid.

I know that God wants to use us here,

but I'm afraid I'll goof.

- You won't goof.

Besides, I'm glad we're here.

- Are you serious?

- Yep.

We had a date tonight in San Diego,

and I couldn't think of
anything exciting to do.

- That'd be the day.

Then I guess all we can do is
pray about the situation then,

huh, David?

Are you okay?

- Yeah.

Yeah, I'm okay.

Anyway, that's not all there is to it.

See, God has given us resources, strength,

good minds to use.

When we're totally committed to Christ,

we can use those resources.

- Oh yeah.

- Let's see what we have in here.

- [Debbie] Oh David, no.

(sad music)

- Looks like he took some
purification tablets,

maybe some salt tablets.

(emotional music)

- Are we just going to let him go?

David, he's my little brother

and he's out there all alone.

- No.

No, he's not out there alone.

(airplane roaring)

(commanding music)

- Base, this is citizen
to seven five layman.

Checkpoint alpha zebra.

We're starting the search
for the cat in Red Canyon.

We'll be moving north as instructed.

- [Billy] Well Hank, you just can't admit

I was right about that plan, now can you?

- [Hank] I called it.

- [Billy] (laughs) Yeah, you did.

You did that.

- [Hank] Now don't get cocky, Billy.

Just 'cause you nailed up one board

don't mean you got a picket fence.

- You went and encouraged him.

If anything happens to him, Howard Ryan,

I'll never forgive you.

- Don't blame me, Carol.

I didn't tell him to go.

I told him no.

- You encouraged him.

It's your fault we're even here.

- What are you saying?

- You've got something going,

some business deal in San Diego

that made you want to go a day early.

If it weren't for that

we wouldn't even have gotten to go at all.

Everything you do you do for Howard Ryan.

If we happen to fit in, we're lucky.

- Stop it, and both of you.

Now let's behave like mature adults.

- Mature adults?

Now here my family sits,

my son is out there alone,

talk about immaturity.

All you wanna do is pray.

Now what kind of an answer is that?

- Oh daddy.

- Okay, I'll listen to
you and I won't argue.

I'll give you that much.

I wish you did have an answer.

- "If you think you
are lost, do not panic.

"Sit down for a while, survey the area,

"and take stock of the situation.

"Remember, move with a purpose.

"Never start out and wander aimlessly."

- It says in Proverbs 3:6,

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him,

"and He shall direct thy paths."

This is the answer, Howard.

The Lord has given us His word

that he'll show us what to do

if we honestly seek to
do everything His way.

He wants us to recognize
Him in everything we do.

- You've never been in
the construction business.

- No, but God has.

Who do you think built all this?

You don't think I have
problems in my business?

A few years ago

when a normal everyday problem
would arise in my life,

I never thought about God or prayer.

In fact, it even got the point
where I was asking myself,

"Why am I going to church?"

After I accepted Jesus Christ,

I realize that He wanted to
guide me through every problem,

big or small.

- How does He guide you?

- First of all, He affects
the way I look at problems.

Okay, here we are

in the middle of what
could be a disaster for us.

As a Christian, if this
comes to facing death,

I know there's nothing to fear,

I have nothing to lose.

If the Lord decides that
my life here is finished,

I have eternity with Christ.

Without Him, I have everything to fear,

especially death.

- Do you mean to tell us
God put us in this situation

to scare us?

- Maybe we're all here

because God wants our attention.

He has mine, I'll tell you.

(suspicious music)

- In this situation I simply
want to claim God's promise

that if I acknowledge Him,

I know without a doubt
that He'll direct my path,

just as He's been doing
for the past five years.

And since He's never let me down,

it's not difficult for me to
believe that He'll help us now.

- It's all a little hard for me to digest.

No matter what happens,

it's an easy out for you,

and you have all the answers.

- I'm not saying that
being a Christian is easy

or that Christians don't have problems.

Listen, Howard, here's the
answer, plain and simple,

if we believe it.

Take Mike for example.

Now he's out there somewhere
with his survival manual.

Now if he believes it
and does what it says,

difficult as it may be,

his chances are pretty good.

Now that survival manual won't
take away Mike's problems,

but it will show him how
to get through situations.

If Mike refuses to believe
that little book of his

or just decides to ignore it

and then goes on relying
on his own wisdom,

then he may be overcome
by the circumstances.

The Bible is the same for us,

and the word of God is powerful,

but we must trust what it says.

God speaks to His people
through His holy word

if we listen.

He's given us a complete
guide with directions

for life and eternity.

Now wouldn't we be
foolish not to follow it?

(calm music)

(snake rattles)

(disastrous music)

(hawk screeches)

- [Narrator] Everything is appropriate

in its own time,

but though God has planted
eternity in the hearts of men,

even so, men cannot see the
whole scope of God's work

from beginning to end.

(wondrous music)

(cougar yowls)

(scary music)

(machinery rumbling)

- It's been confirmed,
we have an airplane down.

Five people are involved.

The communication search reveals that

the aircraft went down west of Santa Fe.

The fuel exhaustion time was 14:00.

That has terminated.

(shadowy music)

(beautiful music)

- Are you all right, Debbie?

- David, I can't help thinking

about Michael being down there
somewhere all by himself.

Somehow it didn't seem so
bad during the daytime.

Now that it's dark, it seems
like he's so vulnerable.

- God is just as capable of
taking care of Mike at night

as He is in the daytime.

- Yeah, I know, but I can't
help but be concerned though.

- It's okay to be concerned.

- You know what, David?

I wouldn't be at all surprised

if this whole thing wasn't another one

of your spectacular dates.

- (laughs) You think this is good,

wait til you see the next one.

- Remember our first date

when you got your friend,

what's his name, Jared,

and he was on the police
force to arrest us

on the way to the football game

because you hadn't gotten the tickets

and were too embarrassed to tell me,

so we sat in the police station

and listened to the
whole game on the radio.

- Yeah, it was a good game too.

- David, I think I ought to marry you.

Too many more dates like this
and I might not be able to.

- Listen, I still think
we should get married

and have you finish school.

Ray and Jan are doing it
and it's working fine.

- I seem to see things
so differently out here.

All the reasons why I
wanted to do certain things

or not do them

seems so unimportant,

almost foolish.

(tender music)

Everything seems so
uncomplicated out here.

- Yeah.

- We'll go with Plan A, CAP
search for light aircraft.

Get them out as soon as possible.

(pleasant music)

- [Man On Loudspeaker] In regard
to the light plane advisory

from last night, here's an update.

Civil air patrol has initiated
an air-to-ground search

between Santa Fe and San Diego.

(airplane roaring)

(confident music)

- [Man On Radio] The
aircraft you've been using

will be used in the search.

The downed aircraft has five persons.

You get all that, Henry?

- Yeah, I got that.

(thoughtful music)

(foreboding music)

- It's ironic.

I've probably built about 7,000 homes,

and all we had to do to get
water is pick up the telephone.

You said a while ago that

God affects the way you look at problems.

Well, how do you see me in all this?

I mean, how can you--

- Well Howard, you have a lot of money.

A lot of money.

You have power and influence.

You can pick up the phone and
call anyone in the country

to get something you need or want done.

Out here it doesn't get
you a drink of water.

Your daughter has something
that you haven't got

and money can't buy,

and you didn't give it to her.

She has everything in Jesus Christ.

Where does that leave you?

If we were to die out here,

what good is all your money,

all those houses you've built,

all those important connections you have.

The one connection you need out here

you don't have.

It's not wrong to have
a lot of money, Howard,

not at all,

but it isn't all there is either.

(inspired music)

(playful music)

(confident music)

- Well Billy, what'd they
teach you in the academy

to do in situations like this?

- Well Hank, they taught
us in situations like this

to get out and check this situation.

Let's find a place to cross.

(sad music)

- [Hank] Hey Billy, come here.

(weighty music)

(puzzled music)

- [Billy] I'd say these
tracks are about a day old.

What do you think?

- You stay put.

I don't want anything
creeping up on me from behind.

(worried music)

(ominous music)

(gunshot fires)

- Hello!

Can anybody hear me?

(troubled music)

- My pills,

in my pocket.

Hurry.

- What's the matter?

- My heart, it's okay,

just need my pills.

- I wish you'd told me about this before.

You have no business coming
out here in your condition.

- Hello?

I need help!

Can anybody hear me?

(defeated music)

- We've got a very unusual situation.

That cat's walking around
within 500 yards of here

and leaving day-old tracks.

Give me that radio.

Base, this is Hank, can you hear me?

- [Man On Radio] Go ahead.

- Billy and I are at Copper Creek.

We've spotted the cat.

We've also found evidence

that leads us to believe
that airplane's in this area.

That's just a hunch,

but send an aircraft to Copper Creek.

Have him fly northwest

along a corridor

20 miles

from this location to Copper City.

I'm heading there now.

I should be there before sundown.

Have all units converge on Copper City.

Tell them to watch for
trail markers and a kid.

You got that?

- [Man On Radio] You better
stay on the trail then, Hank.

It'll take the other units
til tomorrow noon at least

to reach your position.

- Yeah, I know, but tell
them to move out now.

- [Man On Radio] You
said you located the cat.

Where is it?

- It's following that kid.

- Hank, you've gotta get back to town.

This is no place for
you in your condition.

- Look, I've been taking nitroglycerin

for the past five years.

Now let's stop jawing and move.

- Why don't you take the Jeep and go back?

I can go on to Copper City

if it's the kid you're worried about.

- Hey, I don't even wanna go down there,

and I'm not about to send a rookie.

Copper City's the last place
on this earth you wanna be,

especially alone.

(soaring music)

- But David, so many things
don't back up what you say.

Nothing that's happened out here

makes any sense to me at all.

You say it's God's plan.

The power of the world--

- I don't know what God
has planned for us here,

but I do know that for his children

he has a good plan,

a plan so good

that the Apostle Paul says
in First Corinthians 2:9,

"No mere man has ever seen or imagined

"what wonderful things God has ready

"for those who love the Lord."

Hey!

(glorious music)

- Hey, this is seven five layman.

Looks like your man's hunch paid off.

The airplane's sitting up
on top the flattop mesa

in plain sight.

I can see four people

who look like they're
in pretty good shape.

Can you send a helicopter
up here right away?

(elated music)

(troubled music)

(rejoicing music)

- How about that?

I knew he could do it.

Huh, Carol?

Our boy did it.

(exhausted music)

- I don't know anything about your son.

Is he supposed to be with me?

- He's the one who got the
word back that we were here.

- Nobody told me anything about that.

- Look, he's only 12 years old.

He left here yesterday afternoon

to go down to that town
in the valley to get help.

- There isn't a town within
50 miles of here, sir.

- Well there's a town down in the valley.

Come here, I'll show you.

See, it's right down--

- Copper City?

He went down there?

That's a ghost town.

(miserable music)

(exhausted music)

- [Billy] Hello!

Maybe the kid just kept going.

- I hope so, for his sake,

maybe ours.

(troubled music)

- I think you feel about Michael now

the way that God feels about you, daddy.

- How?

- Well God's heart aches for both of you,

just like yours aches for Mike.

According to God's word,

those without Christ,

well, they're lost.

God would do anything to get you back.

In fact, He did.

He sacrificed His son,
Jesus Christ, on the cross

to get you back.

How would you have felt, daddy,

if you had had to make
the deliberate decision

to send Michael out into the
desert, knowing he would die,

to save us?

You wouldn't do it.

Now we can all realize how
grieved God must've been

and is now for you and Mike.

The Sheriff and many others
are out looking for Michael.

Their work isn't finished.

The work of Jesus is.

When he went to the cross,

it's all He could do to save us

from our lost condition.

- Honey, we believe in God, you know that.

- You believe God is,

but the word believe means to trust.

Do you want to trust?

Do you want to believe what Christ is,

what he said, what he does,

what he's done?

I know God will do what's best for Mike.

- Honey, I want to believe and trust,

but you say you know.

How can you know?

- The Holy Spirit speaks to
us deep down in our hearts

and tell us when we
really are God's children.

You can't reason it.

You have to believe.

I trusted Him and He's never failed.

He always keeps His word.

- How?

- Well first of all, daddy,

He said He would change
our lost condition.

He saved me.

He promised to give us
purpose and direction in life

and help to accomplish that purpose.

I've been given that direction in peace,

and all I had to do was ask forgiveness

and ask Jesus into my heart.

- How do you expect me to
believe that God is still loving

after what we've just been through,

and with my son, your
brother, lost out there?

(frenzied music)

- Hank, why don't I go over there

and cover the hotel and the mining camp?

- That area's too dangerous

for anybody not familiar with it.

There's loose shale, old
mine shafts rotted out.

Rattlesnakes hibernate in
those buildings down there.

You check this area here.

I'll check over there.

If either of us spot
anything, fire three shots.

- Hank, you're being just
plain foolish and stubborn.

- Don't give me anymore argument.

Just do as I say.

- You always think you're
right, Hank, don't you?

- I don't think I'm right.

I know I'm right.

- Well don't you see it, daddy?

This whole thing has given
us an opportunity to share.

It brought you and mom to a point

where you can accept Jesus Christ.

This whole situation could
save your souls for eternity.

You and mom would never
have listened before.

It took this to get your attention.

- Only God knew what it would take,

and it taught us a lot about
faith and trusting too.

Besides, Debbie's changed her mind

about waiting another
two years to get married.

- Is this a proposal, David?

- You betcha.

I'm afraid this will have to do,

for now.

- I would like to have
what you kids have got.

- I need to think about it.

- Jesus said in Revelation 3:20,

"Behold I stand at the door and knock.

"If any man hear my
voice and open the door,

"I will come into Him."

First you must believe that Jesus Christ

is the son of the living God,

and believe that Christ died
on the cross for your sins

and was resurrected.

You need to open the door to your heart.

Admit you're a sinner.

Ask forgiveness.

And recognize Him as your Savior.

(majestic music)

- Dear God,

I can see now

that you love us and long for us

even more than I long for Michael.

Forgive me, dear God.

I want to surrender all my
fears and my selfishness.

I do trust Him to save me
and live in my heart forever.

Please bring Michael back

so we can tell him also

that Jesus died for him.

Amen.

(emotional music)

(foreboding music)

- Hello?

Anybody here?

(snake rattling)

(scary music)

Hello?

(suspenseful music)

(snake rattling)

Hello?

Anybody in here?

(troubled music)

(cougar growls)

(snake rattling)

(gunshot fires)

(snake rattling)

(cougar yowls)

(snake rattling)

(cougar yowls)

(snake rattles)

- Hello?

- Get help.

- [Michael] Is anybody here?

- Help me!

- Hello?

(catastrophic music)

(snake rattles)

(cougar growls)

(cougar yowls)

(gunshot fires)

- Hank, where are you?

(dramatic music)

Hank?

- Over here.

- What happened?

- There's a man down there.

(sad music)

(snake rattles)

(gunshots firing)

- Were you in that plane that went down?

- Did you find my family?

- They're fine.

How long have you been here?

- Since last night.

- Someone's been watching over you, kid.

Poor old guy.

Henry, you thought you
had all the answers.

Hank here thought he sometimes
knew more than God Himself.

(weighty music)

- [Narrator] For there is a way

that seemeth right unto a man,

but the end thereof are the ways of death.

- Hi.

- Michael!
- Mike!

- Michael!

- I told you I could do it, mom.

I told you I could do it.
- Mike!

- But it wasn't as easy as I thought.

- We're proud of you,
Michael, we really are.

- I lost my survival guide.

I wish I had it so I
could show you what I did.

- I have a new one for you, Mike.

- What's this for?

- I think that's for people like me.

- [Narrator] And after all
his searching, Solomon said,

"Here is my final conclusion.

"Fear God and keep His commandments,

"for this is the whole duty of man."

Jesus himself said, "A man's
salvation, his greatest work,

"it is finished."

(majestic music)