Lost in the Wild (1993)

Based on a true story about a life-saving mission that turned into a life-threatening ordeal. When a plane carrying a group of doctors and nurses crashes in the jungles of Mexico, it becomes a race against time to save the lives of their injured colleagues. Against all odds, these incredible individuals fight to survive and find new meaning in their profession.

Entertaining, although obvious. Many fine actresses.

This is an early 1990s TV movie (hence, it's full screen). It hits all the usual emotional buttons.

As four student nurses fly to a clinic in the Mexican jungle, along with some doctors, one of their three planes crashes. The other two planes land. Then the nurses and remaining doctors must find the group that went down, treat them, and arrange to fly them out to an advanced American hospital.

This film is full of cliches and stereotypes. Poor but noble peasants who are honest and generous with their meager belongings rally to help the doctors who helped them. Corrupt Mexican soldiers and government officials are callously indifferent to the doctors' plight. Evil drug lords lurk menacingly in the jungle, posing a potential threat to the doctors. Banditos rob the downed plane. Mexican-American student nurse Jennifer Lopez visits a local Catholic church, lighting a candle, to the warmly smiling approval of the poor villagers.

One patient "dies." Two doctors declare him dead. But a gutsy, spunky student nurse refuses to accept that, and she manages to revive the patient, proving herself smarter than the doctors! (Give me a break!)

This is a predictable film, and hard to believe it's all true. It's supposedly based on a true story, but I suspect they embellished heavily.

Still, it has many good actresses. Lindsay Wagner is the star; she plays an older student nurse who went back to college after divorcing her doctor-husband. She worries that others think she's too old. Farrah Forke is another nurse. Some may remember her as "Alex" from the WINGS sitcom. And it's always nice to see Jennifer Lopez. She has a small cliched role as another nurse, one who ruminates about her Mexican roots (her poor peasant father had immigrated from Mexico, and she's the first of her family to go into medicine).

Contrary to the DVD cover, Jennifer Lopez's part is small. Although this is an ensemble film, Lindsay Wagner is the lead star; Lopez is a minor supporting player.

An enjoyable TV movie, if you like the actresses and don't mind the cliches. August 7, 2007

Jennifer Lopez - The Beginning!

While heading towards a makeshift medical outpost deep into the Mexican jungle, one of three planes crashes, stranding a group of doctors and student nurses, some of whom are critically injured. This taut adventure follows the attempts of the others to locate the downed plane and save the lives of the survivors. Once the search party finds the injured medics, their next challenge is to get them to a proper medical facility. One in particular could die any moment. The searchers could have treated them on the spot had not local natives appeared and looted the downed plane of its drugs. A nearby landing strip promises a chance to get the injured passengers to safety, but unfortunately that would precipitate a night flight and recent anti-drug operations laws strictly prohibit flying after dark. One brave doctor volunteers to traverse the jungle to a nearby town in hopes of convincing authorities to make an exception. Meanwhile the rest of the entourage must somehow make it safely to the airstrip by daylight. June 29, 2005

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