127 Hours is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable
adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and
traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days Ralston
examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the
courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary,
scale a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he can be rescued.
Throughout his journey, Ralston recalls friends, lovers, family, and the
two hikers he met before his accident. Will they be the last two people he
ever had the chance to meet?
Outdoor adventurist 'Aron Ralston' (qv) believes he's invincible and can do
it all alone while on his outdoor adventures. He considers the great
outdoors his second home. On Saturday, April 26, 2003, Aron has gone for an
adventure trek alone through the generally secluded Blue John Canyon, and
like he has done on many of his other treks, he has not told anyone where
he is going. But on this day, he and a small boulder fall down a crevice,
he landing near the bottom of the crevice virtually unharmed, but with his
right hand wedged between the boulder and the crevice wall. He has access
to his gear and his small supply of rations as he tries to move the boulder
or chip away at it so that he can get his wedged hand free. As either task
seems impossible, he hopes for someone to rescue him. Those most likely
candidates are Kristi and Megan, two women he met earlier that day who are
the only two who know that he is in the canyon, or his boss Brion, who may
list him as missing if he doesn't show up for his scheduled work time on
Tuesday (three days away). As time goes on and he deals not only with the
boulder and lack of rations but also with the extreme weather conditions,
he begins to think about his mortality, his mind often going toward his
loving but somewhat distant relationship with his family, or his last
broken love with a woman named Rana. As he films himself (as a goodbye
message to his family) often with his mind wandering, he, during his more
lucid moments, also thinks about the possibility of trying to sever his arm
as he will lose it anyway if he survives this ordeal.