Alive (1993)

A Uruguayan rugby team stranded in the snow swept Andes are forced to use desperate measures to survive after a plane crash.

Director:

Frank Marshall

Writers:

Piers Paul Read (book), John Patrick Shanley (screenplay)

Stars:

Ethan Hawke, Vincent Spano, Josh Hamilton

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ethan Hawke	...	Nando Parrado
Vincent Spano	...	Antonio Balbi
Josh Hamilton	...	Roberto Canessa
Bruce Ramsay	...	Carlitos Páez
John Newton	...	Antonio 'Tintín' Vizintín (as John Haymes Newton)
David Kriegel	...	Gustavo Zerbino
Kevin Breznahan	...	Roy Harley
Sam Behrens	...	Javier Methol
Illeana Douglas	...	Lilliana Methol
Jack Noseworthy	...	Bobby François
Christian J. Meoli	...	Federico Aranda
Jake Carpenter	...	Alberto Artuna
Michael DeLorenzo	...	Rafael Cano (as Michael De Lorenzo)
José Zúñiga	...	Fraga, the Mechanic
Danny Nucci	...	Hugo Díaz

Storyline

In 1972, the Uruguayan rugby team is flying to Chile to play a game. However, the plane from the Uruguayan Air Force with 45 people crashes on the Andes Mountains and after the search party, they are considered dead. Two months after the crash, the sixteen survivors are finally rescued. Along the days, the starved survivors decide to eat flesh from the bodies of their comrades to survive.

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Plot Keywords:

survival | andes mountains | crash | stranded | starvation | 

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Taglines:

The triumph of the human spirit.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for crash scenes too intense for unaccompanied children

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alive: The Miracle of the Andes

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$32,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,624,292, 17 January 1993, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$36,733,909

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Andes S.A., Paramount Pictures, The Kennedy/Marshall Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in sequence, an unusual practice for a film of this size.

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Goofs

In the movie, Nando Parrado gives one of the little red shoes, purchased by his mother for her grandchild, to Eduardo Strauch. In real life, he gave the shoe to Carlitos Páez.

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Quotes

Roberto Canessa: [Canessa notices the uninjured Fraga wearing a coat] You took this coat off a girl back there, didn't you?
Fraga, the Mechanic: No!
Rafael: Yeah, he did, Roberto! It's Susanna Parrado's coat!
Roberto Canessa: [to Rafael] Put it back on her.
[Rafael goes to give her the coat]
Roberto Canessa: [to Fraga] If you take it off her again, I'll kill you.

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Connections

Referenced in The Grey (2011)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday To You
Written by Patty S. Hill and Mildred J. Hill

User Reviews

The greatest true story of human survival

If you want a movie which demonstrates the determination of humankind and fight for survival, "Alive" is the movie for you. I have seen this movie many times and even though they do eat flesh from their dead team mates the sight isn't repulsive. You want them to do what they can to survive and you admire their great courage to perform such a discouraged act. What they do is considered uncivilized, but in this movie I feel that it isn't. It took great courage for the men to do what they had to do and pushed to a similar extreme, any of us is likely to do the same. No one can say they wouldn't for sure, you wouldn't know unless you face a similar situation. The scenery is terrific, the special effects are good and worth seeing. The actors went to extrodinary lengths to look the part and they all played their parts extremely well and handled the roles sympathetically. Top grade movie all round!