The Walk (2015)

In 1974, high-wire artist Philippe Petit recruits a team of people to help him realize his dream: to walk the immense void between the World Trade Center towers.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis (screenplay), Christopher Browne (screenplay)

Stars:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, Guillaume Baillargeon

3 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Philippe Petit
Guillaume Baillargeon	...	Outdoor Café Man
Émilie Leclerc	...	Outdoor Café Woman (as Emilie Leclerc)
Mark Trafford	...	American Tourist
Inka Malovic	...	Woman in Chalk Circle
Lucas Ramacière	...	Boy in Chalk Circle
Martin Lefebvre	...	Gendarme
Philippe Bertrand	...	Gendarme
Laurence Deschênes	...	Young Girl with Candy
Patricia Tulasne	...	Dental Office Receptionist
Jean-Robert Bourdage	...	Dental Patient
Sylvie Lemay	...	Dental Patient
Sasha Dominique	...	Dental Patient
Soleyman Pierini	...	Boy Petit
Jade Kindar-Martin	...	Circus High Wire Performer

Storyline

Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only one man - Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), and aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, Petit and his gang overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan. Robert Zemeckis, the director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express and Flight, again uses cutting edge technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story. With innovative photorealistic techniques and IMAX 3D wizardry, The Walk is true big-screen cinema, a chance for moviegoers to viscerally experience the feeling of reaching the clouds. The film, a PG-rated, all-audience entertainment for moviegoers 8 to 80, unlike anything audiences have seen before, is a love letter to Paris and New York City in the 1970s, ...

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Plot Keywords:

tightrope walker | 1970s | skyscraper | based on true story | world trade center | 

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Taglines:

A true story.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements involving perilous situations, and for some nudity, language, brief drug references and smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tom Hanks, who starred in two prior Robert Zemeckis movies (Forrest Gump and Cast Away) has an uncredited voice-only cameo as the voice of the security guard on the roof who is summoned downstairs for pizza.

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Goofs

When practicing the line shoot via bow and arrow in France, the distance needed is clearly marked and Phillipe dances in celebration when the arrow surpasses it. Not long thereafter - with the group in New York - Phillipe has to pull a press conference ruse to get that same distance information. Furthermore, even if he hadn't already made his calculations back in France, it is as simple as measuring the distance at the base.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Philippe Petit: "Why?" That is the question people ask me most. Pourquoi? Why? For what? Why do you walk on the wire? Why do you tempt fate? Why do you risk death. But, I don't think of it this way. I never even say this word, death. La mort. Yes of okay, I said it once, or maybe three times, just now... But watch, I *will* not say it again. Instead, I use the opposite word. Life. For me, to walk on the wire, this is life. C'est la vie.
Philippe Petit: [now standing in the torch of the Statue of Liberty] So, ...

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Connections

Referenced in Flat Earth & Other Hot Potatoes: Episode #1.22 (2015)

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Soundtracks

Da Dou Ron Ron
Adaptation of "Da Doo Ron Ron"
Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector
Adapted by Georges Aber
Performed by Johnny Hallyday
Courtesy of Mercury Records France
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

A fascinating look at Philippe Petit's dream and a beautiful tribute to the Twin Towers

Robert Zemeckis continue's to be of the best director's in Hollywood. He has made a beautiful movie and even though you know what happens, he keeps you gripping your armrests and holding your breath until the very end. Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines in this role along with the rest of the cast.

I suppose this review is also for the people who were in New York during 9/11. As a survivor of 9/11, I couldn't help but cry at the end of the movie. Seeing the Twin Towers rising in all their glory, basking in the sunset and reminding us of their beauty that so many of us took for granted, brought back so many emotions for me. They were like old friends saying hello and goodbye one last time.

Thank you Zemeckis for telling a great story, making a beautiful movie and bringing back old friends to life!

If possible, go see it in IMAX! You won't regret it!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Czech

Release Date:

9 October 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

To Walk the Clouds

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,560,299, 4 October 2015

Gross USA:

$10,137,502

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$61,181,942

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), TriStar Productions, ImageMovers

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1