Grizzly Man – The Movie

On October 5th, 2003, environmentalist and filmmaker Timothy Treadwell – more commonly known as “Grizzly Man”, was killed in Katmai National Park in Northern Alaska by the very bears he vowed to protect. His story was covered extensively in the 2005 Werner Herzog documentary of the same name. This film extensively covers Tredwell’s life, interviews with friends and family, as well as his incredible footage.

Too Close for Comfort; Much Too Close for Science.

Unlike most animal documentaries, the focus was less on the bears themselves but more on the man’s methods and how controversial. Not only was he close, but even went so far as to touch a few, including cubs which is an absolute “No-No” in the greater naturalism community.

Several behavioral experts believe he suffered from autism and depression and wanted to seal himself away from the human world. The documentary never frames Tredwell as a hero; rather as a confused soul looking for purpose – seeing his expeditions as “protecting the bears.”

In order to obtain the best footage imaginable, Treadwell often treks within earshot of the bears and, in some cases, even closer. Treadwell believed that bears aren’t inherently dangerous but can be lived in peace If they are familiarized with a person like Treadwell. For 13 years, he has named and familiarized and named nearly every bear in the park. His close intimacy was to the extent that he was able to touch some youngsters and even a few adults. 

However, his close intimate methods have been highly criticized by wildlife officials. Even violating federal laws by camping in restricted areas. There’s a line in the film by a professional native curator:

“Where I grew up the bears avoid us and we avoid them, They are not habituated to us. If I look at it from my culture, Timothy Treadwell crossed that boundary we had to live in for 7000 years. An unspoken boundary, but when we know we crossed it, we pay the price.”

Native Kodiaks Museum Curator, Stevan Haakenson

Despite the controversies surrounding Treadwell’s methods, he was able to survive, often alone, for 12 summers living with them. Any man who can survive for that long amongst them must be doing something right – otherwise, this would have happened long before his name gained recognition.

Circumstances of His Demise

Timothy has seemingly prepared himself for the worst time in the season to go looking for bears. He deliberately chose his campsite between a salmon stream and thick bushes – leaving his site as the only route a bear can walk through. What is even worse was his decision to extend his stay in the area into October; by that time, most of the fit, healthy bears would have gone into hibernation. The remaining active bears would have been starving and desperate to find food.

The particular bear that killed Treadwell and his girlfriend, known by rangers as “Bear 141”, was considered an old animal out of shape. As bears approach the last years of their natural life, they are known to seek riskier, but easier, meals like human encampments. Unlike the other bears Treadwell had encountered, this bear was a new arrival to the area. An animal with no familiarity with Treadwell whose only focus was food.

The Movie Pitch

Depending on the source material, this can work well as either a movie or a 6-part miniseries. With “Grizzly Man” already taken by the Herzog documentary, I would suggest the title of “Bear 141” or simply “Treadwell”.

Were the events of Grizzly Man be adapted to a more dramatic film, it should be more focused than the bio-documentary and instead focus on a few key moments that led to Treadwell’s final expedition and subsequent death. A good film bibliography doesn’t focus on every aspect of a person’s life but rather on the most meaningful moments that led to their story.

The pitch would be to follow two timelines: Treadwell’s final expedition and last months, flashing back to a much younger and depressed Treadwell discovering what he believes is his true calling.

Much like Tiger King, It is essential that this film be a character study of one guy’s persona and ego. Of course, the theme of protecting the animals should remain. Whatever messages about the grizzlies and their plight should always be a back seat to the story.

This is not inherently a pro-environmental PSA. If anything, it delves into the tragedy of how his methods actually harmed his beloved bears. Not just Bear 141, his killer, would be put down by the recovery team – but also a nearby adolescent bear that charged the crew.

A good deal of focus should be on his personal life, social awkwardness, and relationships with women. There is a conspiracy theory that Treadwell’s girlfriend, who also died at the scene, expressed in her diary that she intended to leave him upon returning to California and that one of the reasons for camping in such a dangerous location was a form of ritual suicide. This theory was further reinforced by one of Tredwell’s last tapes, filmed just hours before his death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6laz7b2Ihw

The Bear Attack

No doubt reenacting the death of Treadwell and his girlfriend will be difficult for a number of reasons. Considering how graphic his attack was, this could be seen as exploitative by a person directing who simply hates Treadwell. Some say it’s best for it to happen offscreen in a flash forward where the authorities found their remains. My reasoning for going all out with portraying the attack is to ram home that nature is unforgiving the is an unspoken line between man and nature, and Treadwell crossed this too many times, and now he’s paying the price. 

We actually know a good deal about what happened… because his camera was turned on for the whole ordeal.

While the lens cap was still on, Treadwell managed to record 6 minutes of audio of the incident. The actual tape has now been locked away, but according to expert investigators that listened to the tape Treadwell tried to fight back with a frying pan with his girlfriend screaming in fear before she too was killed. It may be necessary to get input from the experts and Werner Herzog to make sure that this scene is done justice.

Then there’s the bear itself.

This is not going to be like the Revenant with a fake CGI bear in a dark forest where it’s hard to see everything. The killing took place near a bank and some brush; it was cloudy but still open enough for natural lighting. Thiers still beautiful scenery that is meant to clash with the stark brutality of nature. Unlike The Revenant, which was meant to be dark misery from beginning to end. Instead, the cinematography is highly saturated and colorful with all the outdoor scenery Alaska has to offer.

Another crucial detail to add is the lack of familiar bear sounds during the attack.

Contrary to what movies would have you believe, predators don’t make sounds when hunting or feeding. The most sounds that were heard from the bear were low grunts. This makes the scene more terrifying as all we hear is just humans shrinking in terror, making the scene far more real.

There is an understandable call to stop using real animals in films. However, nothing would be as impactful if it wasn’t a real bear. They don’t even have to use a full-size bear; just use animatronics for close-up scenes. There are even ways of shooting scenes separately, so they come together seamlessly in post-production. Have one with a real bear attacking a dummy and the actor interacting with a full-sized green puppet.

Fancast

Timothy Tredwell – Owen Wilson // Rik Swartzwelder

There were several actors I had in mind, including Bradly Cooper and Micheal Fassbender. Owen Wilson is the closest actor at the moment that fits Treadwell’s description. He has a similar voice and can match his eccentric, cool guy persona. At the very least, this seems like a character that Owen could disappear into and not just play himself.

If Owen Wilson is too likable, then we can cast this role purely out of catharsis – someone who thinks he’s the hero but, in reality, is a self-obsessed narcissist. Personally, I would cast actor Rik Swartzwelder, whom some may remember from several low-budget faith-based films like his magnum-creep-opus Old Fashioned about a celebrity who tries to convert women he likes into marrying him portrayed as love. Just the exact kind of guy you’d like to see torn to shreds by a bear on-screen.

As for the other possible players, including Treadwell’s girlfriend and the pilot who picks up and drops Treadwell during his trips? A few also include his friends and family but just want to keep the core characters. Perhaps even have Herzog make a Cameo.

Amie Huguenard (Treadwell’s Girlfriend) – Michelle Williams

Willy Fulton (Treadwell’s Pilot) – J.K. Simmons