Rascal

In the summer of 1918 in Brailsford Junction, a small Wisconsin town, Willard North takes his son, Sterling North, into the woods, where a lynx surprises a family of raccoons, leaving a young raccoon behind. Sterling brings Rascal home and names him Rascal, and the North household begins to adjust to this new, furry presence that quietly but persistently makes itself felt. As Willard must leave for work, Theo North lines up interviews for a potential live-in housekeeper before returning to her job in Chicago. Willard decides to meet with Theo’s favorite, Mrs. Satterfield, but ultimately dismisses her, believing that Sterling can handle things on his own for now.

Rascal soon proves to be a real handful, getting into trouble by trashing a local store and digging up a neighbor’s corn patch. A local constable warns Sterling that he will be held responsible for damages unless Rascal is kept contained. To show Rascal’s spirited nature, Sterling takes him to a race between a Stanley Steamer and a sulky; Rascal’s presence seems to nudge Donnybrook, the sulky’s horse, to win, and the town’s opinion of Rascal — and of Sterling, by extension — begins to shift. When Theo returns from Chicago, she finds the house in disarray; the mess triggers a heated confrontation with Willard, who is reminded that Sterling is his son who needs help. In response, Willard makes a quiet vow to become a better father.

That night, Rascal hears a female raccoon’s mating call through Theo’s window and tries to slip out, waking Theo and everyone else in the process. After a scuffle in which Rascal bites Willard’s finger, Sterling realizes that it is time to let Rascal go and forge his own path. The next day, Sterling sets out in his homemade canoe and returns Rascal to his old stomping grounds, where he quickly locates a female raccoon. But the lynx returns, and when Sterling steps in to help, Rascal and his mate outwit the predator, sending him tumbling into the water. Sterling walks away with the knowledge that Rascal and his new partner will be able to look after each other from here on.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:26