a boat, a rock, and a rising tide: help me remember

May 10, 2004 11:10 PM

It seems my memory isn't what it used to be. I need help remembering a short story title and a movie... [more inside, of course]

The short story concerns a man, his son and nephew(?). They go fishing offshore (New England?) and somehow manage to lose their boat, but there is a rock. Unfortunately, there is also a rising tide. It was incredibly poignant and has stayed with me many years.

The movie is a science fictiony thing about some very strange children and a schoolteacher. At some point the children draw pictures of their arrival on Earth, someone falls out of a tree and breaks their leg and I think they could float in the air.

posted by cedar to media & arts (4 comments total)

Are these two different movies?

Is the first one "The Cay" ?
posted by mecran01 at 8:14 AM on May 11, 2004

The movie sounds like an adaption of "The People", by Zenna Henderson. Apparently there was an adaptation -- I didn't know -- and it starred William Shatner.
posted by coelecanth at 8:23 AM on May 11, 2004

The movie sounds like Escape to Witch Mountain. I also vaguely remember a horrible sequel with Bette Davis.
posted by FreezBoy at 8:25 AM on May 11, 2004

The short story you're referring to is a favorite of mine....

The Ledge by Lawrence Sargent Hall. I have it in a paperback collection called American Short Story Masterpieces edited by none other than Raymond Carver.
posted by tdstone at 12:47 AM on May 14, 2004