I must have seen the 1990 Lord of the Flies a few years after it was released in 1990. I would have been the age of some of the younger kids but I remember exactly how I felt when two events happened: [spoiler]the death of Simon by the hunters and in general how Piggy was treated and ultimately killed. It was scarring for the young me[/spoiler].

Upon revisiting it, those feelings were still brought up but I'm able to look objectively at the film, its themes, and some of the differences between the book which I've had an opportunity to read. The plane crash and the landing on the island just felt awkward with the realities of 1990. Having the kids break away into two camps with the righteous and civilized Ralph squaring away from the "native and savage" Jack felt out of place with American culture of the early 1990s. It is more in place with the British Empire from when the book was published. I get the desire to want to Americanize parts to broaden the appeal, but it cheapened the experience.

I was hoping the conch and the first assembly was going to feel more meaningful. It might be due to working exclusively with children actors and they had to get what they could, but watching this version makes me want to re-read the book and watch the 1963 British version.