127 Hours (2010)
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A lone hiker becomes trapped by a massive boulder in a remote canyon and must face a harrowing ordeal to survive.
The story
On April 26, 2003, avid mountaineer Aron Ralston goes hiking at Utah's Canyonlands National Park without telling anyone. After befriending two lost hikers and providing them with directions, he continues alone through a slot canyon in Bluejohn Canyon. While climbing, a boulder comes loose and falls, trapping his right arm against the canyon wall. Alone and unable to move the heavy rock, Ralston must find a way to escape his predicament as he begins to record a video diary to maintain his morale while attempting to free himself from the boulder.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After becoming trapped by a boulder in a Utah slot canyon, Aron Ralston is left alone with limited food and water. Over five days, he faces extreme conditions, eventually resorting to drinking his urine and hallucinating about his past and future. Realizing he cannot move the boulder, he decides to amputate his own arm. He uses a multi-tool to break the bones and cut through the flesh, eventually wrapping the stump and rappelling down the rockface. He is eventually spotted by a family and rescued by a helicopter. The film concludes with a jump forward in time, showing Ralston married with a son, still active in the climbing community.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 94
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Danny Boyle
- Writers
- Danny Boyle · writer; Simon Beaufoy · writer
- Cast and characters
- James Franco · Aron Ralston; Amber Tamblyn; Kate Mara; Clémence Poésy
- Genres
- biographical drama; independent; survival
- Themes
- survival; determination; isolation
- Tone and mood
- intense; harrowing
- Premise and plot tags
- based on true events; survival; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2004)
- Reception
- The film was acclaimed by critics and audiences, receiving high scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and was selected as one of the top 10 films of 2010 by the American Film Institute.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Actor · New York Film Critics Online · win; Best Song · Critics Choice · win; Academy Awards · Best Actor · nomination; Academy Awards · Best Picture · nomination; Golden Globe Awards · Best Actor · nomination
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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