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 [fr]

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

Aron Ralston filmed a daily video diary while he was stuck in the canyon; the footage has only been shown to close friends and family and is kept in a bank vault for safety. Before shooting began both James Franco and director Danny Boyle were allowed to view the footage in order to accurately portray the events in the movie.

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Goofs

During the Utah Jazz game, the logo on the court is one that was not used until 2004, when the Jazz changed their color scheme.

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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

Referenced in Scary MoVie (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Never Hear Surf Music Again"
(John Pugh)
Published by Rong Music (ASCAP)
Performed by Free Blood
Courtesy of Rong Music

User Reviews

You may be dying but the world moves on

You may be dying but the world moves on. That is the naked truth about our existence and the main allegory written in the stimulating visual experience provided by Danny Boyle in his latest film. 127 Hours is a wonderful metaphor for solitude and for the importance of what life means at an individual level. It enhances the indescribable experience of having a family, friends and love, but most of all cherishes the meaning of human contact. Solitude is perceived as being bearable and a lot of times needed but seldom is viewed as being fulfilling. Only when the epiphany pops into our minds, we realize what we have been missing. It is a common and frustrating fact. Nonetheless, Danny Bolyle's achievement allows a new and fresh take on this theme. The director shows the audiences that life happens when they least expect. And truth be told, there is a bright place for those who abandon their egotistical "independence" and start sharing the events that life provides.

Telling a story about a man who is stuck in the same place for such an extensive period of time is definitely not easy. Danny Boyle described the picture as "an action movie in which the hero doesn't move" and he certainly took the challenge. With this in mind, two main conclusions can be withdrawn from Boyle's work: 1) He was able to maintain the action dynamic and the viewers engaged through a series of devices that allow them to be interested not only on the hero's present condition but also in his past and, quite possibly, his future. The mind behind Trainspotting entered the psyche of his new hero and gave it a shape and a texture that transformed the general perception. The empathy towards the character grew and from that moment on the audience grabbed the hook. He was able to dissect James Franco's character thoughts and desires in a moment of extreme physical and psychological agony.

2) It was extremely hard to be inventive in such scenario and some techniques proved to be tiresome. In certain moments during the movie, Danny Boyle seemed to be trying to hard when having a simpler approach looked like to be more successful. He stylized the action in a way that doesn't always work even considering that he established his filmmaking style from the very beginning.

With regards to the main performer, it is only fair to praise James Franco's enactment. It is a truly astonishing tour-de-force that will probably be mentioned during the Oscar nominations. He's not only charming and witty but his personality fills the screen with such a great talent. It is very gratifying to observe his evolution according to the character's state of mind.

127 Hours is a quite remarkable achievement. There's the ability to pick up a true straightforward story about survival and courage and enhance it through a sheer composition of good sense without falling on the old American cliché. This story does not try to be epic or monumental. It tries to be honest and true. And we, as viewers, don't feel cheated or slapped across the face, and that is really all we could ask for.