Plot summary

"Call of the Wild" is a modern-day story incorporating elements of Jack London's classic short novel. Christopher Lloyd stars as a recently widowed man living in Montana who takes his young granddaughter Ryann (Ariel Gade) in for several weeks while her parents are out of the country. When a wild hybrid wolf/dog shows up injured on the back porch one night, Ryann wants to take him back to Boston as a pet, but her grandfather knows the animal will eventually have to return to the wild. To help his granddaughter understand, he begins to read her Jack London's "Call of the Wild" each night ... but Ryann has ideas of her own, and helps a local boy train the magnificent animal to become a sled dog leader. Timothy Bottoms plays a dark-hearted local bully who tries to claim the dog as his own, and Wes Studi stars as a mysterious mountain man who always seems to appear on the fringe of the action.***********************KrystelClaire's summary from now on ******************** *******************SPOILERS ************************************Ryann (Ariel Gade) goes to live with her grandfather "Grandpa" Bill Hale (Christopher Lloyd) to an always snowy countryside place in Montana for a while. Her parents will be away for some time. She discovers a hurt dangerous animal on the garage of Grandpa's. Dr Spencer (Jaleel White) realises the dog is strongly wounded, and recommends that it's sacrified. However, Ryann doesn't agree with that: she heals a half-dog half-wolf animal, whom she will call Buck -after the main character in Jack London's novella-, although her grandfather tells her that she can't tame Buck, because it's used to be wild.. Grandpa reads her parts of Jack London's novel Call of the Wild. Ryann uses a lot of her money to feed the animal, but Buck doesn't seem too keen on being tamed.Oswald "Ozz" Heep (Devon Graye) threatens Jack Ferguson (Kameron Knox) because of young blonde shop-attendant Marla (Devon Iott) is rude to him. He can't smoke within the shop and the shop attendant tells him so expidiciously. Heep (Timothy Bottoms), Ozz's father, claims to have been the first one in rescuing the dog, but that the dog-wolf broke free of its rope and that's why it appeared at Grandpa's garage. Jack realises that Buck would be a wonderful sledge dog and he sets to train him. He explains to Ryann that some dogs love that task, feeling happy about it. Ryann intends to take it to Boston with her.Sheriff Taylor (Veronica Cartwright) appears with the Heeps claiming the dog, but Grandpa says that there are no proof. Buck hates Heep but loves Ozz. Sheriff Taylor and Ryann propose a race, the winner taking Buck. So they immediately start educating Buck. Throughout, Granpa keeps on reading the story of Buck -Jack London's version. Granpa says that Ryann can only keep Buck if her parents allow it, but that Buck shold adapt to the life of a home animal as a prior condition to any of that. Tracy (Aimee Teegarden) receives piano lessons from Jack's mother. Jack likes her and Tracy likes him. During the training of Buck, Jack realises that the dog is a born leader.Ryann watches a scary man who buys a huge knife while she is buying more dog food. The man talks to her, but she runs away. The man, -who Ryann will later know its' Hatcher (Wes Studi)- uses the knife to cut a slice of an apple and wolf it down. Ryann asks Grandpa about Hatchett. He says that he used to be a convict, and that there are all sorts of wild rumours about him, but he also laughs those rumous off, saying that all small-town lives need something to talk about.Jolene (Joyce DeWitt) complains that all her hens have disappeared. She wants Grandpa to compensate her with money. Ryann says that Buck didn't leave the garage in all night. The Heeps' dogs can't run so much because Heep doesn't buy meat for them. But Heep doesn't want to spend any money at all, not even in things Ozz needs. Heep tells Ozz that he's stupid, not like Jack. Ryann tells Jack that he will keep Buck if she can't take the dog to Boston. Ryann talks to her mother on the phone but she doesn't tell her that she's got a dog. Paula is amazed that Ryann can treat dogs well. Grandpa tells Paula what Ryann wants, but both agree that city life will not be good for a half-wild dog.Jack feels that Buck is ready, so he wants to make a short real race. Ryann asks her father. Grandpa insists that they won't go farther away than a kilometer, as they are too young, all the paths are covered in snow and it's gonna be the first time they practice. Ryann promises, but she's not happy about it. Jack says that they will do the same itinerary several times to compensate that. However, when they reach the kilometer, Jack can't stop Buck. The dog keeps on running. The dogs get all tangled and Jack gets a sprained ankle. To unwind the mess, they need to release Buck. Buck runs away immediately after Jack frees it. Ryann asks Jack to tell Grandpa that it was her fault, because she insisted on going on. Jack hasn't got coverage for his mobile phone there. Obviously, Grandpa gets worrited when Jack and Ryann are late. Jack has untangled the dogs, who are on formation now. Buck runs to a cottage and then he comes back to Jack and Ryann. Buck has warned Hatcher.Hatcher takes all humans and animals to his cottage. He tells Taylor by radio that they are all all right. Hatcher has got photographs of Dingo, his best dog -he had more common sense than many humans. Ryann is afraid of Grandpa's getting angry. He tells her off. He doesn't read The Call of the Wild to her that night, demands that her homework is done and forbids her to take part in the race. The next night, when all of Ryann's homework is done, he reads to her how Buck hunted a deer, to which Ryann says she doesn't want to hear the story anymore.At the last minute, Jack doesn't want to participate in the race, as he thinks he's going to lose, but Marla says she supports him. Grandpa reads Ryann's homework talking about her wonderful holidays and about late grandmother. That convinces Grandpa to let Ryann help Jack, who has finally decided to run the race. Ryann is even going to be on the sledge with Jack. Heep is not playing fair: he has manipulated the sledge, and he gives Ozz meat to throw it to the floor so that the dogs will eat it and take another way. Heep tells Ozz that he can't return home if he doesn't win the race.Ozz doesn't use the tricks which his father has told him. He gives the meat to Jack, saying that next year he'll go to university, although his father doesn't know it yet. Heep complains to sheriff Taylor and he threatens Buck, who jumps to him. Heep wants Taylor to kill Buck, saying that it's a hazard to everybody. Heep will leave to the north, but he'll return to have his own back. Everybody looks to Buck with worry. Taylor knows she'll have to do that. Ryann admits that Buck ran away and ate the hens. Buck is half-wolf, but he's not prepared to live on the wild again. Paula has said that there is no way they'll keep a dog in Boston, so Taylor takes it to the city kennels to kill Buck. Finally, Hatcher will keep the dog with him. Ryann reads the ending to The Call of the Wild on her own. She has to go back to Boston and Grandpa gives a smaller home dog as a gift. Ryann gets a liking to the dog immediately.