The Ranger, the Cook & a Hole in the Sky (1995)

Film Title: The Ranger, the Cook & a Hole in the Sky
Also known as: Hole in the Sky
Released: June 15, 1995
Directed by: John Kent Harrison
Written by: Robert Wayne based on the story "USFS 1919: The Ranger, the Cook & a Hole in the Sky" by Norman Maclean
Starring: Sam Elliott, Jerry O'Connell & Ricky Jay

Plot: The coming of age tale of a young man who spends the summer working for the US forest service in 1919.

IMDb: 6.7/10
My Score: 3/5

The Ranger, the Cook and a Hole in the Sky, also simply known as Hole in the Sky, is a 1995 TV movie based on renowned English scholar and author Norman Maclean's novella "USFS 1919: The Ranger, the Cook and a Hole in the Sky," a semi-autobiographical account of his time as a seventeen year old working for the United States Forest Service near Hamilton, Montana. The story appeared in the 1976 collection "A River Runs Through It and Other Stories," whose eponymous tale was famously adapted in 1992 into an Oscar-winning film directed by Robert Redford starring Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt and Tom Skerritt. Hole in the Sky concerns seventeen year old Mac (Jerry O'Connell) and his third summer spent working for the Forest Service under ranger Bill Bell (Sam Elliott). Essentially the story is about O'Connell growing from a cocky, smart mouthed teen to a respectful, self-sufficient young man. There is also a subplot concerning the camp cook Hawkes (Ricky Jay) who is secretly a card shark, O'Connell's unwarranted rivalry with him and Elliott's plans to use Jay as a ringer in the end of the season poker game back in the town of Hamilton. Some beautiful shots of the forests of British Columbia (doubling for the Montana wilderness) and fine performances keep some of the slower moments interesting and Jay, who is a magician and sleight-of-hand expert, displays his card-craft in a memorable scene filmed in one long take to exhibit his skill. Small character studies seem to be director John Kent Harrison's bread and butter and Hole in the Sky won't disappoint those with similar inclinations. Co-starring Molly Parker, Don S. Davis, Tom Butler, Jay Brazaeu, & Callum Keith Rennie, the film won a Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in Television Long Form - Dialogue & ADR. Check out the aforementioned scene of Ricky Jay doing his thing below.