Based on Jon Krakhauer's harrowing account of folly and tragedy on the slopes of the world's highest mountain, this made-for-TV movie re-enacts that fateful excursion. Christopher McDonald and Peter Horton star. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
Based on Jon Krakhauer's harrowing account of folly and tragedy on the slopes of the world's highest mountain, this made-for-TV movie re-enacts that fateful excursion. Christopher McDonald and Peter Horton star. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
This movie so porrly portrayed EVERYONE excpet for Jon Krakauer that it was very hard to watch. Fischer was a foolish money hungry risk-taker, Boukareev was a self-absorbed egomaniac that didn't care about the 'clients', Hall was an all-talk hard ass, Pittman...well she deserved her portrayal. But Jon K. came across as the strongest, smartest, clearest thinkg, non-agenda carrying person on the entire expedition. After reading his book, I have to feel that he would have been uncomfortable with this movie and how it portrays everyone.
In Boukareev's book, The Climb, he tells a slightly different version of the same events. I thought this movie was a bit too overboard for my taste and would have rather not shown such disregard for safety by EVERYONE but Jon K. I'm sure there where some truths to the story but most highly exaggerated versions.
This movie was based on a pretty good book. The author made you feel like you were there. Too bad the budget for the movie didn't allow for realism. To see these actors "climbing Everest" with their off the rack Ski Market equipment, oftentimes without gloves, no face protection and no eye protection and the shots of Jon's $100 Polar heart rate monitor watch to remind them of the turn-back time, was enough to make me cringe. It really was a good book that described the terrible toll the mountain can exact. The movie hardly rates an after school special, and with about the same budget.
My husband loved the book so we rented the movie, but were extremely let down. Christopher Mcdonald did great in his performance, as well as Richard Jenkins. Other than that it was poorly made, overdramatic and focused too much on the tragedy and not on the individual characters. It did not do the people who died justice, especially Andy Harris. I am sorry that I wasted a rental on this film. I would reccommend just sticking to the book.