The last post mentioned some suggestions for summer reading—page-turners with a wilderness. survival, or adventure-seeking theme. How about some movies of similar type? Got some favorites to share?
Would anyone be interested in having an occasional movie night to watch a movie together with our friends and family? This could be just us at SAR House or open to the public. Perhaps we could find a pleasant outdoor venue for it... how about a picnic dinner on the lawn, good movie, good companionship... family fun? Is there any interest in this idea?
Here are a few nominees in no particular order. What are your favorites?
Into the Wild(2007)- Into the Wild tells the true story of Chris McCandless, a young man who cut all ties with his family after graduating from college and went to live off the land in the Alaskan wilderness. In 1992, McCandless spent nearly four months living in the woods near Denali National Park in an abandoned bus, where his dead body was ultimately found. He was 24.
A River Runs Through It(1992) - A true story about two boys, Norman and Paul, growing up in Montana. One is rebellious of his father, Rev. Maclean, while the other has his feet on the ground. The one love they both have is fly fishing.
Deliverance (1972) - Deliverance is the story of four suburban professional men from Atlanta on a weekend canoe and camping trip. The film is noted for the memorable music scene near the beginning that sets the tone for what lies ahead: a trip into unknown and potentially dangerous territory. In the scene, set at a rural gas station, character Drew Ballinger plays the instrumental "Dueling Banjos" on his guitar with a mentally-challenged hillbilly youth named Lonnie (implied as being an inbred albino in the novel, portrayed by Billy Redden in the film).
The River Wild(1994) - A former white water rafting and fishing guide takes her troubled 10-year-old son on a rafting trip, along with her workaholic husband Tom, whom she is thinking of divorcing. During the trip, the three meet up with two men; one of whom bonds with the son and takes an interest in the mother as well. All is not as it appears with the stranger, and the three are tested to their limits as individuals and as a family as the river carries them inexorably toward their final destination.
Jerimiah Johnson(1972) - An American soldier goes west to escape the Mexican War and becomes a mountain man. He is taken in by an old trapper who teaches him how to survive. After unavoidably violating an Indian burial ground, he loses his new Indian wife and their adopted child to vengeance, and a vendetta between him and the Crows ruins his idyllic life as a fur trapper. Gorgeous scenery and a great role for Will Geer in a thoughtful meditation on the American West.
Touching the Void(2003) - In the mid-80's two young climbers attempted to reach the summit of Siula Grande in Peru; a feat that had previously been attempted but never achieved. With an extra man looking after base camp, Simon and Joe set off to scale the mount in one long push over several days. The peak is reached, however on the descent Joe falls and breaks his leg. Despite what it means, the two continue with Simon letting Joe out on a rope for 300 meters, then descending to join him and so on. However when Joe goes out over an overhang with no way of climbing back up, Simon makes the decision to cut the rope. Joe falls into a crevice and Simon, assuming him dead, continues back down. Joe however survives the fall and was lucky to hit a ledge in the crevice. This is the story of how he got back down.
Swiss Family Robinson(1960) -A family in route to New Guinea is shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. They are forced to remain on the island because of the damage to the ship and the pirates that are roaming the islands. They create a home on the island (centering around a huge treehouse) and explore the island and it's wildlife. Plenty of adventure ensues as the family deals with issues of survival, pirates, and the brothers must learn how to live on the island with an uncertain future.
The Gold Rush(1925) - It is in the middle of the Gold Rush. A Lone Prospector (Charlie Chaplin) searches the tundra for gold. But he finds more than gold; He finds love, and an uproarious adventure that forever change the lives of the people he meets.
Shackleton(2002) - The true story of Shackleton's 1914 Endurance expedition to the the South Pole and his epic struggle to lead his 28 man crew to safety after his ship was crushed in the pack ice. [The book is much better.]
Never Cry Wolf(1983) - This film dramatizes the true story of Farley Mowat, when he was sent to the Canadian tundra area to collect evidence of the grievous harm the wolf population was allegedly doing to the caribou herds. In his struggle to survive in that difficult environment he studies the wolves, and realizes that the old beliefs about wolves and their supposed threat are almost totally false. Furthermore, he learns that humans represent a far greater threat to the land, and also to the wolves, a species which plays an important role in the ecosystem of the north.
Walkabout (1971) Two young children are stranded in the Australian outback and are forced to cope on their own. They...
Alive (1993)...miracle in the Andes
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