Escape to Witch Mountain

1975

Directed by John Hough

Quick Synopsis… Two young extraterrestrial orphans with supernatural powers attempt to discover the truth about their mystery-shrouded past. Complications arise when they are made wards of a ruthless millionaire who wants to exploit their unusual powers.

• I like how the Disney+ synopsis gives away the twist that the twins are aliens right away.
• That should kind of be a big reveal toward the end of the movie, if I remember correctly.
• I used to watch this movie a lot as a kid.
• Not sure what the appeal was, looking back.
• Could be that the kids had magic powers and what kid doesn’t sort of wish they had magic powers?
• Tony and Tia arrive at an orphanage not long after their foster parents, the Malones, have died.
• The lady that runs the place points out Tia’s case that she carries with her.
• Must be important.
• During a baseball game, the bully of the orphanage picks a fight with Tony.
• We know he’s a bully because of all the curly red hair.
• I’m pretty sure movies in the ’60s and ’70s taught children to distrust redheads.
• Anyway, Tony uses telekinesis to beat the bully without lifting a finger.
• Tia can communicate with Tony telepathically, and that night, she asks if he can hear the dogs.
• Tony surmises that they’re going to encounter those dogs someday soon.
• While waiting for a bus for a field trip, Chuck, the bully, swipes Tia’s star case away from her.
• Tony is about to fight Chuck again, but then a black cat (Winky) jumps up at Chuck and knocks the case out of his hands.
• At the movie theater, Tia has a premonition about a man who will be in danger if he gets into his car.
• A moment later, an out of control tow truck smashes into the car, right where the man would’ve been sitting.
• This man’s name is Deranian, and he works as an attorney for a wealthy eccentric named Bolt.
• Deranian reports to his client that he’s found what he’s been looking for.
• We discover another power that Tony has… He can draw telekinetically while playing the harmonica.
• On a mirror in his room, he draws Bolt’s house… the place where the dogs are.
• They also discover that Tia’s star case revealed a map, but they don’t recognize the area it depicts.
• As for Bolt’s house, they’re aware that they’ll be going there soon and they’re afraid.
• Bolt has Deranian pose as Tony and Tia’s uncle, Lucas, and has him adopt them and bring them to Bolt’s estate.
• The guard at Bolt’s front gate is allergic to Winky.
• That’ll probably be important later.
• They see all of Bolt’s guard dogs and notice that the mansion is exactly what Tony drew.
• Bolt comments on how attractive the twins are… because that’s not creepy at all.
• He accompanies them to their new room, which is like a kid’s dream play room.
• When their riding lessons begin, Tia goes to calm an unbroken stallion, because she can communicate with him telepathically.
• Later, in the play room, Tony puts on a puppet show with his harmonica.
• And they’re being watched the whole time, since they’re secretly under surveillance.
• Deranian wants to wait until they have more evidence before using the information to get the kids to do what they want.
• But Bolt is impatient and demands to learn how they can do what they can do so their powers can benefit him.
• The kids realize that they are prisoners and they have to figure out a way to escape.
• That night, Tia uses the Force to unlock their door and they make a break for it.
• Not long after they get out of the house, alarms go off and the chase is on.
• Tia talks the guard dogs into going after Bolt’s security team instead of them.
• Then Tia calls Thunderhead, the horse from earlier, to come and help them once they get past the main gate.
• Winky screws with the allergic guard so Tony can use his harmonica to get the gate open.
• Told you that would be important.
• They ride Thunderhead to a safe distance… at least, they think it’s safe.
• Then they hear sirens, knowing they’re for them.
• Nearby, Jason O’Day is preparing for a cross country road trip in his Winnebago.
• Little does O’Day know, the kids are hiding out in the back.
• When O’Day stops at the beach, Winky sneaks out and O’Day decides to give him a can of tuna.
• But that’s when he discovers Tony and Tia in the back of the camper.
• He’s a hateful old man who claims not to like kids.
• But he’s not a monster and offers to make them breakfast before he kicks them to the curb.
• Tony and Tia make a deal with O’Day and talk him into taking them to Stony Creek, one of the places located on Tia’s map.
• When they stop for gas, a nosy attendant calls about the Winnebago.
• Soon after, O’Day is pulled over by highway patrol.
• Tony uses the harmonica to make the cop’s motorcycle drive off a cliff.
• Don’t worry, the cop wasn’t on the bike when it happened.
• But it gives O’Day a chance to drive away.
• Tia keeps getting flashbacks of the two of them being rescued after some kind of shipwreck.
• Deranian happens upon the Winnebago while O’Day and the kids have stopped for the night.
• Winky gets the drop on him and his henchman, though.
• Tia uses telekinesis to hold the henchman’s own gun on him.
• You can totally see the string…
• Jason and the kids make a get away again.
• The plan is to drive a bit and the kids will jump out and hide while he keeps driving to lead Deranian away.
• Unfortunately, a local sheriff who’s after the $1,000 reward notices the kids on their own.
• The sheriff puts the kids in a jail cell.
• Really?
• That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?
• Tia has more flashbacks that remind her they used to speak another language that their Uncle Bené used to speak with them.
• Tia manages to psychically retrieve Tony’s harmonica and open their cell door so they can escape.
• Tony manages to distract the sheriff with a broom and a coat and they get out of the station.
• Guess the jail cell wasn’t extreme enough.
• Oh, and Tia frees a bear.
• The sheriff puts together a lynch mob and stirs them up claiming the kids are witches from Witch Mountain.
• That seems super safe.
• The kids find their way to Jason’s brother’s house where Jason is there waiting for them.
• But Deranian has tracked down where the house is, too.
• Piecing Tia’s memories together, they figure the townsfolk are right about Witch Mountain.
• Jason says his brother mentioned that some strange people settled in that area several years ago.
• Deranian drives up and Bolt’s on his way in a helicopter.
• Tia asks her bear friend to come and distract the bad guys while they drive away again.
• The bear managed to get into Deranian’s car… so that’s a no go.
• Back on the Winnebago, the kids are putting together that they’re extraterrestrials and they’re from a planet that died.
• Everyone converges on Stony Creek and the kids make contact with one of their people, who’ve been looking for the twins for years.
• This man tells the kids to make sure they’re still followed, that they have a plan to discourage Deranian and Bolt from ever trying to find them again.
• When Deranian gets ahead of O’Day and blocks their path, the Winnebago begins to fly.
• They fly up beside Bolt’s helicopter, but then when they go through some clouds, they come out and the Winnebago is upside down.
• No… not the Winnebago… the helicopter.
• O’Day and the kids come in for a landing on a grassy hill, where the voice says to just get out and wait.
• They leave Winky with Jason, to keep each other company.
• Uncle Bené emerges from the woods and greets the kids.
• He reveals that there are other children that survived the crash, but Tony and Tia are the first to find their way home.
• O’Day says he’ll keep an eye out for more of the children and bring them to Witch Mountain if he can.
• Bolt’s helicopter lands upside down… because helicopters can do that.
• They get out just in time to see the kids on their flying saucer, heading beyond the mountain.

Thanks for tuning in to Day Five of the 2020 A to Z Challenge! If you like Disney movies, then stick with me for the rest of the month. I’ll be doing a movie beginning with each letter of the alphabet each day (except Sundays) all month. And I’ll try to give hints about the next day’s movie in case you want to take a guess in the comments.

Clues for tomorrow’s movie are that it begins with an F and it’s a Disney movie. Just kidding… It’s another live-action flick, but this one is from the ’80s. And it is very definitely about as ’80s as they come. It’s a sci-fi adventure with a spaceship and time travel and Sarah Jessica Parker. Any guesses?