Two young children (Johnny Whitaker and Jodie Foster) suddenly find themselves in charge of a gentle, aging circus lion. However, when they are threatened with being split up by stern authorities, the trio embarks on a perilous journey across the wilds of the American Northwest. During their adventure-filled odyssey, they seek help in their plight from a sympathetic, free-spirited mountain man (Michael Douglas). Ferocious forest predators, a dangerous drifter, and the pursuing police make for a head-over-heels race to breathtaking conclusions in this captivating saga.