127 Hours (2010)

A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.

Director:

Danny Boyle

Writers:

Danny Boyle (screenplay), Simon Beaufoy (screenplay),

Stars:

James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 82 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Franco	...	Aron Ralston
Kate Mara	...	Kristi
Amber Tamblyn	...	Megan
Sean Bott	...	Aron's Friend (as Sean A. Bott)
Koleman Stinger	...	Aron Age 5
Treat Williams	...	Aron's Dad
John Lawrence	...	Brian
Kate Burton	...	Aron's Mom
Bailee Michelle Johnson	...	Sonja Age 10
Parker Hadley	...	Aron Age 15
Clémence Poésy	...	Rana
Fenton Quinn	...	Blue John (as Fenton G. Quinn)
Lizzy Caplan	...	Sonja Ralston
Peter Joshua Hull	...	Boy on Sofa (as P.J. Hull)
Pieter Jan Brugge	...	Eric Meijer

Storyline

127 Hours is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he can be rescued. Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers, family, and the two hikers he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he ever had the chance to meet?

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Plot Keywords:

boulder | canyon | alone | aron ralston | mountain climber | 

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Taglines:

Every Second Counts

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some disturbing violent content/bloody images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 January 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

127 horas

Filming Locations:

Moab, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£2,168,570 (UK) (7 January 2011)

Gross:

$18,329,466 (USA) (8 April 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Pathé, Everest Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Franco was not Danny Boyle's first choice to play Ralston - Cillian Murphy was.

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Goofs

When the camera is first used to record himself, the battery life changes from 3/4 full to 1/2 full and then back again before fading away.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Aron Ralston: Hey. Aron here. Leave a message.
Sonja Ralston: Hey Aron. Sonja here, again. I know that you're probably gonna be away this weekend. But listen, just think about we we're gonna play. Please. 'Cause we have to decide, and we really... We need to practice, okay? Anyway, it will be fun. I promise. And oh, please call mom. Please. 'Cause she worries, which you know already. Okay. Later, A., goodbye.

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Crazy Credits

Captions appear just before the end credits: "Aron's premonition came true. He met his wife Jessica three years later. Their son, Leo, was born in February 2010. Aron continues to be a climber and canyoneer. He always leaves a note to say where he has gone." During these captions, the cinematographer shows us the real Aron and Jessica, who are sitting silently on a couch outdoors, on green grass near a stand of green trees. The couch has colors suggesting the hues of the canyon Aron was trapped in. Aron slowly smiles, and then breaks into a grin.

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Connections

Spoofed in The Simpsons: The Blue and the Gray (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Nocturne no.2 in E-flat"
(Frédéric Chopin)

User Reviews

A Triumph

Sometimes (even oftentimes) in the world of film criticism, the word "triumphant" is thrown around. It's often used to describe a film, perhaps more often a performance. I've certainly used it; it's a term I like to pull out when a film seems to go beyond the call of duty. When it's more than art, entertainment, or a combination of both. When the story, images, and characters pop off the screen and go with you, and the lasting impression left on you means something more than having killed a couple hours in a big, dark room with a bunch of strangers. Now, after watching 127 Hours, I feel I've never used "triumphant" in the correct critical context before.

James Franco's performance is simply astounding. He, as an actor, is triumphant because his character is, and because he delves into what it means to be bringing this incredible story to life on the big screen for mass consumption. This is a tough role - Franco is basically putting on a one-man show, and he does so elegantly. We feel Aron Ralston's pain because Franco feels his pain and shows it in every line of his face, verbalizes it with every sigh, and lets it control him even as he battles to take control back and find a way out of his dire situation.

It's pure, masterful art. Franco is simply flawless. Trapped by the boulder, much of his performance lies in his facial expressions, and he is able to deftly switch from desperation to comedy to a brutal will to survive, all while being barely able to move. I've rarely been so impressed by an actor's work; Franco is wholly deserving of the Oscar.

Danny Boyle's kinetic, energetic direction is a perfect match for Franco's easy-going goofiness, and even when the film becomes grounded in the narrow canyon where Ralston was trapped, Boyle always keeps things interesting. He and co-writer Simon Beaufoy weave flashbacks and hallucinations into Ralston's dilemma to great, heart-breaking effect, and the premonition that drives Ralston to finally dive whole-heartedly into amputating his own arm is breath-taking in its tenderness.

Also impressive is Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle's cinematography. Instead of letting the confined space limit their camera techniques, they tackle every possible angle, often bringing the audience uncomfortably close to the action. Shots through the bottom of Ralston's water bottle mark time and heighten the sense of urgency. The addition of home movie-style footage brings Ralston even closer to the audience; when he expresses his delayed gratitude to his family, you'll likely find yourself thinking about the last time you told your parents how much you love them. It's a great device, and is put to best use in one of the film's funniest scenes, when Ralston interviews himself Gollum-style. The combination of the dark humor, varied cinematography, and Franco's impressive facial dexterity pitch the scene perfectly; it's a lighter moment that is nevertheless grounded in the gravity of the situation.

Complementing and combining Chediak and Mantle's beautiful shots is Jon Harris's dynamic editing. The use of split-screen is particularly brilliant, put to use in innovative ways throughout the film: the bookend sequences mark Ralston's departure from and return to society, and the technique in general represents the multiple facets of a seemingly simple tale. Yes, when it comes down to it, 127 Hours is a film about a mountain climber who gets stuck under a boulder and has to cut off his own arm. But it's so much more than that. It's about a man overcoming the physical, emotional, and intellectual strains of an unthinkable situation. It's about responsibility, love, and the will to live. Above all, it's about the triumph of the human spirit, show more clearly and beautifully here than in any other film I can think of.