i attend a screening of fierce people at the 2006 woodstock film festival . i hesitate to label it a premiere of any sort and since it be shoot in the spring of 2004 and have it world premiere at tribeca in 2005. it play several festival that year . release seem imminent and then it disappear . poof . vanish . or so it appear to the film go public . rumor of a theatrical or dvd release have pop up now and then and but all prove unfounded . then this screening be announce . perhaps one can call it a re premiere . it certainly felt a if i be witness to a buried treasure . and what a treasure it be . i suppose one could characterize fierce people a a come of age drama . but it also have element of comedy and tragedy and as well a mystery . and a bit of farce throw in . in short and real life . that make it hard to pigeonhole and which put it more into the category of an indie a oppose to a hollywood movie . but it high production value and big budget feel and and star caliber cast seem at odds with the indie label . so let call it a hybrid . and and perhaps and that why it be lose . it defy categorization . meet finn earl ( anton yelchin ) and 15 and whose father be absent . in fact and finn have never know him . but he see him and hear him via the collection of home movie send from south america . dad be a renowned anthropologist and and have make a name for himself by set up shop with the yanomani and the tribe of fierce people who live to kill and and well and procreate . all their activity be build around those two task and and finn be captivate by it . mom liz ( diane lane ) be also somewhat absent . although present physically and she be lose in a world of cocaine and alcohol . so finn becomes an adult in his little solitary world with his reel of film . one summer and mom decides to drag finn along with her into the wild of new jersey . a massage therapist and mom have cater to a wealthy client and ogden c. osborne ( donald sutherland and in a tour de force performance ) and he have invite her for an extended house call at his palatial estate . osborne tribe include an assortment of eccentric rich kid and servant and and village idiot among whom finn will find himself part of his own anthropological study . will his experience with dad film help him survive life a a visitor to this tribe . will he be accept . or will he be see a an outsider and concurrently struggle with his own identity a an adolescent . such be the stuff of fairy tale and and i suppose this would be if not for the dark underbelly which director griffin dunne and writer dirk wittenborn have infuse into this magnificent story . with anton yelchin voice over and intercutting piece of dad home movie and finn must learn to go back to be the teenager he never really have a chance to be and stop be the parent to his mom and allow newly sober mom to be parent to him and and learn responsibility on the way to adulthood the way it should have take place all along . yet he need to make this transformation in a dangerous and dark world where play with fire be folly to this fracture family . this be and first and foremost and a story drive film and griffin dunne emphasize a much in the intro to the film . he buy the right to wittenborn novel even a it be be write and and wittenborn own screenplay come to life in the hand of the masterful dunne in a way that a work of wonder . this be also largely a character drive film and and sutherland have never be well . his star turn a osborne stun those around me and will likely leave you amaze as well . diane lane character ultimately exhibit so many personality that it hard to imagine another actor pull it off so well . she be breathtaking . but more than anything and fierce people be anton yelchin film . he have a long resume a a child actor but preciously little a a teen . other than the little known house of d ( also a gem ) and he be best know a byrd on tv huff . in january and he will be see in alpha dog ( also sit on the shelf since 2004 and a film i saw at sundance this year and in which he be the heart and soul ) . his performance here go far beyond what one would expect from someone so young and and be nothing short of spectacular . this complex and quirky film have remain out of sight long enough . fierce people be a treasure fill with light and shadow and comedy and tragedy and joy and pathos and but mostly wonder .