Spending my first Thanksgiving in the North, I was lucky enough
that my parents agreed to visit for the holidays. They flew in from St. Louis and had just
enough time to unpack their bags before we kicked off our itinerary of
adventure. The first thing on our
list: catch an advanced screening of 127 Hours.
Starring James Franco, 127
Hours is the gripping, dramatic true story of Utah hiker Aron Ralston. Based on his autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place, the
movie follows Ralston while he is hiking alone in the Blue John Canyon in May
2003. A rock pins his arm after he steps
on a loose boulder and falls into an isolated canyon. With no more than the supplies in his
backpack, he waits for help only to realize no one knows where he is. He realizes the only way to survive is to
amputate his own arm.
Director Danny Boyle made sure viewers got the most graphic, realistic
and medically accurate amputation scene possible. This movie is not for the faint of heart!
Ralston actually had to break his own arm in several places and then use
a multi-tool to tear through the tendons in order to sever the limb. Once he had separated himself from his arm,
he hiked out of the canyon to find help.
As an audience member, you could just feel the emotional relief wash
over you as the climactic ending wraps up the film nicely.
Franco did an excellent job portraying Ralston’s emotional and
psychological distress throughout his ordeal. I will warn you, if you’re not a fan of
Franco, there’s not a lot else to watch in this movie…it’s pretty much a
one-man show. I wouldn’t be surprised if
his name comes up around awards season for this one.
Honestly, I’m not for blood, guts or gore when it comes to
movies. (I can’t help but liking a good
ol’ happy ending kind of story!) While I
found this movie a little emotionally unsettling, it was also poignant and
inspirational. The conversation in the
car ride home had us all wondering what we would or could do to save ourselves. We
also noticed that never once during Ralston’s ordeal did he pray to a higher
power or invoke any type of spirituality.
His strength and survival came from himself.
Whether Ralston’s story was one of superhuman strength or just
another survival tale, it was one that certainly got us thinking…always tell
someone where you’re going. Plus, my
parents promised to put a multi-purpose tool in my stocking for Christmas this
year.
