My Side of the Mountain was made into a motion picture by Bob Radnitz Productions and Paramount Pictures. The film differs from the novel in several significant ways. Instead of having Sam attempt to "get back to nature" through old-fashioned methods, the movie shows him experimenting with the production of algae. He even studies the algae through a microscope, carried along in his backpack. The movie also depicts Bando as a wandering musician who spends a month with Sam, teaching him many down-to-earth skills. There is no suggestion that Sam suspects his visitor to be an escaped bandit.

The movie puts a major emphasis on the training of Frightful and includes beautiful photography of the falcon in flight. Unlike the book, the movie shows Frightful being killed by a careless hunter.

In the film, Sam is trapped by a wall of snow and is...