127 Hours

I went with a very good friend last night to see 127 hours, and yes it is very much worth all the hype! I won't give any of it away, but the movie is based on the true story of Aron Ralston - an adventurous twenty-something who goes canyoneering alone and gets his arm trapped in a rock, leaving him in the cayon all by himself for you guessed it... 127 hours. I was so fascinated by his story that I googled him the second I got home, reading every news story I could find about him. He is truly an inspiration.

The thing that I love most about this movie is the characters will to live. I always find it so interesting how, when every decision is life or death, people will do literally anything to survive. James Franco was so amazing in this role... and the entire time I felt like I was watching actual footage. You are able to bond with him and the emotions you go through allow you to really connect with him. I laughed and cried with his character until by the end of the film, I felt like he was a friend of mine. I love being able to connect with characters in that way.

It also hit very close to home, which to be honest is the last thing I expected because I have never been canyoneering and I certainly wouldn't have the courage to go alone. But while he's trapped, he starts thinking about his family and the ways he has pushed them and others in his life away. He actually vocalizes that his decisions have brought him to this place, and this rock has been waiting here since the day I was born. He regrets not returning phone calls from his mother, not letting others help him, doing it all on his own. It's a powerful realization, and at times I felt like he was talking to me. In the end, he realizes that he cannot do everything on his own, and once in a while he needs to ask for help from others -- in this case, he needs others to survive.

I just knew the second that I saw the trailor for this film that it would be one of my favorites. It made me realize that my connection to nature is almost greater than my connection with other people, and was a huge eye-opener. It made me appreciate my family, and in that way it was almost like an $8.00 therapy session... can't beat that!