“Homeward Bound” Actor Says Studio Initially Didn't Want Him to Cry in Movie: 'A Boy Wouldn't Do That' (Exclusive)
“Homeward Bound” Actor Says Studio Initially Didn't Want Him to Cry in Movie: 'A Boy Wouldn't Do That' (Exclusive)
Virginia ChamleeThu, April 16, 2026 at 5:40 PM UTC
0
Benj Thall in 'Homeward Bound' in 1993; and the actor in March 2026Credit: Disney+; Randall Michelson/Getty -
Actor Benj Thall says a key emotional moment in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey nearly didn't happen because the studio questioned whether “a boy would” cry on-screen
Thall tells PEOPLE director Duwayne Dunham ultimately fought to keep the scene
The actor also reflected on the movie's lasting impact, noting its real locations, iconic score by Bruce Broughton and global fanbase decades later
More than three decades after Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey became a beloved family classic, one of its stars says some of the film's most emotional moments nearly didn't make it into the final cut.
Released in 1993, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey follows three beloved pets — Shadow, a wise golden retriever; Chance, an impulsive American bulldog; and Sassy, a pampered Himalayan cat — who embark on a perilous journey through the wilderness to reunite with their human owners. Narrated by the animals' inner voices, the film features voiceover work by Sally Field, Michael J. Fox and Don Ameche.
While speaking to PEOPLE, Benj Thall, who played eldest brother Peter, reflected on the 1993 movie, which was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures, and how studio hesitation over its emotional arc was ultimately overruled by the creative team. Calling it "the little movie that could," Thall, 47, says that Homeward Bound was a small-budget movie. He describes it as "Disney, but also sort of shot outside, in a way, of the studio eyes."
Benj Thall in 'Homeward Bound: The Incredibly Journey'Credit: Disney+
"It was just another picture. ‘We're going to do this little reboot over here. We'll see what it becomes,' " he says, noting the film is based on 1963's The Incredible Journey, which was actually adapted from Sheila Burnford's 1961 novel of the same name. The remake was written by Caroline Thompson and Linda Woolverton and directed by Duwayne Dunham.
"But once the cut came in and they got the voices in, I mean, I think it's become the classic [it is] because there was just such craft and care and time. They rewrote the script in the edits many, many times for the animal's voices," the actor continues.
Thall explains that much of the film's emotional resonance came from a careful post-production process that helped deepen the connection between the audience and the animals on screen in order "to get the comedy, to get the humor, to get the connection, to really find the tone and really find the moment."
Advertisement
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I mean, Duwayne told the story to me I didn't hear until five years ago, that the studio was nervous about a 13-year-old boy crying to his mom. And they were like, ‘A boy wouldn't do that.' But a human being would do that,” Thall recalls. “And so [Duwayne] fought for these moments in the film that I think are what make it hold up so well and that you really carry on the journey of not only the animals, but the family that loves the animals so much.”
Looking back, Thall believes those decisions are exactly what gave the film its staying power. “And it's what makes it so … I mean, I still get emotional watching that,” he says.
Thall was just a teenager when the film premiered, and he admits he didn't fully grasp its emotional impact at the time. “I do remember the feeling, as all actors watch themselves, when I was 13 and we saw it at the premiere and everything, I don't think at that young age I could connect — because I was seeing myself — to what the magic was,” he says.
Over the years, however, he has come to appreciate the film's craft — from its storytelling choices to its now-iconic score by composer Bruce Broughton. “I knew the score by Bruce Broughton is so iconic,” Thall says. “I just met him recently in the last year and a half and just told him how much the score means. We had a nice lunch and he's just a lovely human being.”
Today, Thall says the film's emotional honesty continues to resonate with audiences around the world, even decades later. “I think at a young age, I wasn't able to understand the impact that the movie would have. Now I certainly do because it's loved all over the world. I have fans from international countries, messages I have to get translated. And I think it's timeless in a sense.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
