By Dawn's Early Light
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Arthur A. Seidelman
Caley Wilson
Ben Cardinal
David Coles
Anthony Harrison
Tyler Labine
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Mike Lewis is an awkward, misanthropic 16-year-old who tunes out his parents and his problems by turning up the volume of his headphones or by zoning out in front of his computer. Outside his bedroom door, his parents are arguing again. Sandy and Ron need some time together to repair their strained marriage. They've conceived a plan to use up Mike's summer vacation and, this time, the terms are non-negotiable. Mike's fate is sealed. He is exiled to the wilds of Colorado to spend six weeks with his grandfather whom he doesn't even know.
Mike's grandfather, Ben Maxwell, is a rancher and all-around cowboy. He thinks that getting close to his daughter's boy will somehow make up for the ten years he's lost by bearing a grudge. When Sandy grew up, she left the ranch and broke his heart. It took the passing of Ben's devoted wife to get them speaking again.
Nothing could prepare Ben for the invasion of "planet teen." Mike's dark presence and dismissive manner rub Ben the wrong way. With the help of Ben's close friend, Eli, Ben comes to understand that his grandson's discontent stems from his low self-esteem and the fact that he has never in his life accomplished anything. Mike does, however, succeed in alienating most everyone in town when he unfurls a mean-spirited prank involving an American flag on the Fourth of July. Ben makes the only decision there is to make -- Mike must leave.
Mike is ecstatic about going home until he discovers his means of travel will be by horseback. It is an 800-mile stretch between Ben's Colorado ranch and the California coastline. Ben sets out for the last great ride of his life and Mike unwittingly sets out to become a man. Together they learn what it means to forgive and be forgiven and what it means to be a family.
Cast
Caley Wilson
Ben Cardinal
David Coles
Anthony Harrison
Tyler Labine
Julie Patzwald
Gary Bisig
Richard Crenna
Sandra Nelson
Mark Holden
Joanna Piros
Stella Stevens
Frank C. Turner
Colin Foo
Don Mackay
David Carradine
Peter Raffan
Tim Henry
Lisa Marie Caruk
Greg Kean
Lachlan Murdoch
Patrick David
Chris Olivero
Blair Slater
Crew
Kevin Ault
Kevin Ault
Randall Badger
Kieran Baldwin
Debera Barager
Andrea Bastin
Eliza Bayne
Eliza Bayne
Karin Behrenz
Harold Bernard
Koenraad Beuglelink
Chester Bialowas
Ken Biehl
David Birdsall
Andy Bishop
Files Bobic
Tom Bonny
Brian Book
Paul Bougie
Dave Bozman
Curtis Bradshaw
Darren Brisker
Doug Brons
Garry Brook
Steven Cant
Peter G Capadouca
Stephen Cheung
Stephen Cheung
Bob Chmiel
Jo-ann Chorney
Patrick Clark
John Crockett
Candace Cruikshank
Michelle Dallas
Grant Davey
Kanneth Davies
Greg Dean
Ryan Decarlonis
Christine Derek
Brian Dobson
Geoff Dood
Shelley Dowson
Connie Earl
Andy Earle
Paul J Edwards
Todd Elyzen
Todd Elyzen
Chad Evenson
Jacqueline Feather
Jo Ann Fowler
Alison Fraser
Ken Friss
Reg Glass
Bert Glastein
Gary Gleason
Mark Gordon
Robert Halmi Jr.
Jim Harrington
Cam Hayduk
Kevin Hemmingson
Michael Hibberson
Julie Hill
Lee Holdridge
David Horner
Pierre Hubert
Laureen Hui
Charron Hume
Jill Ireland
Stan Jones
Michael Jovonoski
W Scott Keates
Michael P Keeping
Steve A Kennedy
Deana Kittson
Jack Kraehling
Selena La Brody
Craig J Lane
Miko Laplante
Roger Laprairie
Michelle Leclair
Susan Levens
Wendy Lewis
Mark Libera
Pearl Louie
Brian Lymer
Jae Marchant
Darren Marcoux
Rod May
Rod May
Sandra Mayo
Tom Mckinnon
Ryan Mcnair
Roxanne Methot
Paul Michaud
Stephen Miko
Brent Miller
Mary Montica-poole
Darla Nathorst
Carmen Maria Nees
Shawn O'hearn
Resho Ollek
Janice Papadaki
Rod Patten
Daniel L. Paulson
Linda Pearce
Peter Pearson
Ric Petrin
Susan Pilcher
Andreas Poulsson
Neil Rathmosun
Chris Renshaw
Amanda Richards
Karen Roberts
Trish Robinson
Robert C Rodriguez
Wendy Romano
Wendy Romano
Eleanore Meg Ross
Allen Salamanca
Kevin Schartner
Greg Schlosser
David Seidler
Liz Sheldon
Charlie Shepard
Cindy Smith
Hassan Smith
Jim Stacy
Lydia Stante
Gerry Stewart
Greg Stewart
Mike Stroman
Gerald Thom
Paul Michael Thomas
Paul Michael Thomas
Chris Thompson
Heather Tillson
Natasha Tony
Costa Vassos
Danny Virtue
Danny Virtue
Greg Watrych
Bev White
Caley Wilson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Aired in United States April 15, 2001
Aired in United States July 9, 2002
Telecast as a presentation of "Showtime Original Pictures For All Ages."
Began shooting April 23, 2000.
Completed shooting June 21, 2000.
Production was shut down on the original first day of shooting (August 9, 1999) when actor Richard Crenna suffered a severe shoulder injury in a fall.
