I am waiting for the day when they make a movie about people who have great outdoor adventures and ALSO make good choices. I would much rather see those people rolling in money and book deals. Sure, we can all learn something from the poor choices of others but when do we get the opportunity to learn how to be smart, intelligent, appropriately trained outdoorsmen and women?
Last weekend, I went to see the movie 127 Hours. For those of you who have been living under a rock (HA!), this film is based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston. The book recounts his 2003 experience in the canyons of Utah, when his arm became trapped between a large boulder and a canyon wall. He hadn't told anyone where he was going. He hadn't even communicated that he would be gone. He didn't pack his ten essentials or nearly enough water.
Here's the thing...Aron Ralston had a loooong history of really poor outdoor choices. Not only did he consistently put his own life at risk, but he has talked openly about needlessly putting the life's of others in jeopardy for a quick thrill. He lost a lot of friendships for what I can only describe as being an outdoor idiot. In fact, there is now a whole movement that refuses to support Aron or his book/movie because of these choices. Because for those of us who recognize that we are not invincible outside and who work tirelessly to train ourselves and others in proper protocol, Aron Ralston is not someone to be admired.
The movie itself, is beautiful. This is no surprise as it's directed by Danny Boyle, who has given us some of the most stunning filmwork to date with Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting. It says a lot about both an actor and a director that a guy stuck in a crevice can stay interesting for 2 hours. A similar feat was achieved in Cast Away...thank you Wilson! Danny Boyle does a fantastic job of making both the setting and sound their own characters as once again, his music choices were spot on! Utah doesn't need a lot of dressing up to be spectacular in theory but as anyone who has ever attempted to capture its beauty with a camera can attest, it takes a keen eye to truly capture its spirit. The canyonlands are both mystical and ominous and Mr. Boyle was able to convey these characteristics very well.
And then there's James. Oh, James Franco! How far you have come from weeping over your dying Green Goblin of a deadbeat dad. Seriously, he did an amazing job in this movie! His performance is worth seeing even if you don't agree with supporting Aron Ralston...support James Franco. We can pretend he needs the money. I digress. He really does give a powerful, insightful performance here and he's not bad to look at for a few hours (although I'm more of a Jake Gyllenhaal girl), even covered in dirt and drinking his own urine.
Finally, let me just warn you that if you have a squeamish stomach, there will be about 5 minutes that show off some CSI-type special effects, involving an amputation. It's rated R for a reason even if I did see the same thing last week on network television. And if you have an eye phobia, like my boyfriend, there's a part where he has to adjust his dried out and dusty contact lens.
So, all in all, I'm glad I saw it. Movies that give the scenery as much screen time as the actors are always worth it. They make us dream up our own adventures and show us places we couldn't have imagined. I would recommend the movie but I would ALSO recommend that you keep studying up on how to be as safe and smart as possible while sporting through the world.
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