The Mountain Between Us

The Mountain Between Us

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama
Actor: Idris Elba, Kate Winslet, Beau Bridges, Dermot Mulroney
Director: Hany Abu-Assad
Country: USA
Movie: The Mountain Between Us
Production Co:
Duration: 103 min
Release: 2017

The Mountain Between Us is a 2017 American romance survival adventure film, directed by Hany Abu-Assad and written by Chris Weitz and J. Mills Goodloe, based on the novel of the same name by Charles Martin.It stars Idris Elba and Kate Winslet as a surgeon and a journalist, respectively, who survive a plane crash, with a dog, and are stranded in High Uintas Wilderness with injuries and harsh weather conditions.The film premiered on September 9, 2017 at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 6, 2017, by 20th Century Fox. After the cancellation of their flights out of Boise Airport due to stormy weather, Dr. Ben Bass (Idris Elba) and photojournalist Alex Martin (Kate Winslet) contact Walter (Beau Bridges), a local private pilot in order to get to Alex's wedding (scheduled for the following day) and Ben's emergency surgery appointment in Baltimore, Maryland. They board an uncharted flight with Walter's dog. During the flight, however, Walter suffers a stroke. The plane crashes on top of a mountain with Ben, Alex and the dog surviving the incident with injuries. Walter does not survive the crash. Ben tends to Alex's wounds and realizes they must come down from the mountaintop for any hope of survival. Alex asks Ben to leave her behind as he has a better chance of surviving to which Ben refuses. Instead, he climbs a peak in order to see if there are any structures nearby. On his descent he nearly falls off a cliff face. Alex and the dog are then attacked by a cougar with the dog receiving some wounds. The cougar then enters the plane wreckage with Alex on board. Fortunately, she fires a flare into the cougar before it attacks. Ben returns to find a blood trail. Realizing Alex is in danger, he rushes towards the plane and finds Alex and the dog alive. He provides medical attention to the dog and later retrieves the body of the cougar to eat. Stranded alone together for days and with little food, they find strength in each other to keep pressing forward in the snow and cold. Alex declares that help is no longer coming and decides to leave the mountain while Ben refuses, stating that their best chance of survival and being found reside with the wreckage. After a heated argument, they both sleep with Alex resolving that she will leave. At first light, she proceeds to leave the wreckage and start a descent down the mountain. Ben wakes and gives chase, eventually catching up with Alex and they make up over past grievances. While making shelter in a cave, Alex uses her camera to locate a man-made structure and spots a reflective material flashing at her. They agree to make it down to this structure. Eventually, they find an abandoned cabin where they take shelter. The first time Ben leaves Alex alone in the cabin, she goes through his personal things and finds a voicemail recording from his wife. Ben catches Alex in the act. She says she didn't mean to be nosy but says she just wants to know something about him, especially since he has disclosed so little about himself and he never talks about his wife. He finally tells her his wife died two years ago from a brain tumor. When Ben tells Alex he is going outside to get more wood for the fire, the culmination of all of their experiences together finally overcomes them. No longer able to resist each other, they make love. As Ben sleeps after their loving, Alex takes his picture. Deciding that they still won't make it, Alex again asks Ben to leave her behind to find help and return. Ben initially agrees but has regrets about leaving her behind just for a moment. He returns once more and they begin to press forward again. As they make their way down, Alex begins to tire quickly. However, Ben still refuses to leave her behind. They fall asleep in the woods. Eventually, they find a timber cutter yard on the mountain and they make their way to it. Ben gets his leg caught in a bear trap. Alex keeps going and she's rescued by a truck driver, who goes back and rescues Ben. Ben wakes up in the hospital and goes to Alex's room where he sees her and Mark. Mark praises Ben for saving Alex to which Ben replies she saved him and leaves the room, heartbroken. Some time after, Mark tells Alex that "I told myself that if you ever lost a part of you (an arm or leg in her dangerous job as a photojournalist), I would still love you." But now, it's obvious to him that he has lost her heart. Alex tries calling Ben, but he declines her phone calls until he receives pictures of him and Alex on a mountain. This encourages Ben to call Alex. They meet up in Manhattan, where it is revealed that Alex is now a part-time teacher who is uncomfortable flying and Ben is now working as a consultant in trauma clinics as his frostbitten hands have not recovered enough for him to operate. Ben admits that he did not call her back because he thought she would be married, and Alex responds by saying she loved Ben while they were together on the mountain and that she and Mark never married. Ben cannot admit to himself that he wants her back, and they part ways after a hug. As they are walking away, they regret it and turn around, running back into each other's arms, confirming that they will get together.