The ranger, the cook and a hole in the sky based on: USFS 1919 : the ranger, the cook, and a hole in the sky by Norman Maclean.

The ranger, the cook and a hole in the sky originally released as a made for TV movie in 1995

The ranger, the cook and a hole in the sky: "It's 1919 and the U.S. Forest Service is busy at work in the remote wilderness of the West. For many--like the hardened Bill--blasting rock and blazing trails has become a way of life. But for a 17-year-old hothead name Mac there's much to learn

A young ranger in the Montana wilderness discovers the great forces of nature while learning the importance of honor, trust and integrity. Legendary veteran ranger Bill Bell educates the young man and guides him toward manhood. The year is 1919-a time when being a ranger meant more than operating expensive equipment. Forest fires were fought with guts and courage, not chemicals and airplanes. Bill Bell was the toughest ranger in an elite crew of very rugged men. A figure of heroic proportions, he was generally feared and respected by all. It was even rumored that he had at one time killed a sheep farmer, which only fueled his already enormous reputation. The young ranger does everything to remain in the good graces of Bill Bell, the senior ranger he idolizes. Their tentative rapport grows into a friendship through a hilarious and heroic rite of passage in which the younger ranger meets the test-and the woman of his dreams. When Mac (Jerry O'Connell) goes to the northwestern Montana wilderness to join the National Forest Service as a ranger in 1919, he is little more than a cocksure 17-year-old, but his tough-as-nails boss, Bill Bell (Sam Elliott), sees to it that he becomes a man. Since Bell has a reputation for being the best ranger, Mac wants nothing more than to follow in his idol's footsteps -- though it often leads to some missteps. As time passes, the two develop a friendship, but Mac has much to learn.

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