Everest (1998 film)

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Everest
Everest by MacGillivray -- DVD cover.jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Greg MacGillivray,
David Breashears
Written by Tim Cahill,
Stephen Judson
Produced byStephen Judson,
Alec Lorimore,
Greg MacGillivray
Starring
Narrated by Liam Neeson
CinematographyDavid Breashears
Edited byStephen Judson
Music by Steve Wood,
Daniel May,
George Harrison (songs)
Distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films (theatrical)
Miramax (home video)
Release date
March 6, 1998
Running time
45 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office$128 million [1]

Everest is a 70mm American documentary film, from MacGillivray Freeman Films, about the struggles involved in climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak on Earth, located in the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet. It was released to IMAX theaters in March 1998 and became the highest-grossing film made in the IMAX format.

Contents

Production

The 45-minute documentary is narrated by Irish actor Liam Neeson and was filmed entirely in IMAX. It includes a description of the training required in order to climb the 29,029 feet to the summit of Mount Everest and the challenges faced during the ascent, such as avalanches, blizzards, and oxygen deprivation. [2] The film centers on a team led by Ed Viesturs and Everest director David Breashears; [2] among their number are Spanish climber Araceli Segarra, and Jamling Tenzing Norgay, son of the pioneering Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay. [3]

Everest was in production at the mountain during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in which another group of climbers became trapped by a blizzard near the summit. The film includes footage of these events, [4] as the IMAX team assist Beck Weathers and other survivors. [2] Producer and co-director Greg MacGillivray later said that while editing the documentary for release, he and Breashears decided to focus more on the tragedy, due to the popularity of Jon Krakauer's book about the 1996 disaster, Into Thin Air (1997). MacGillivray said "Ten million people have read that book, so we had to address the issue. And I think it strengthened the film." [5]

Reception

Everest premiered at Boston's Museum of Science on March 4, 1998 before going on general release in IMAX cinemas across the United States two days later. [6] According to an article published late that month in the Los Angeles Times , it attracted mainly favorable reviews. [7] The film subsequently opened in Australia on March 19 and Switzerland on March 20, with other European premieres, including at the London Trocadero, following during April and May. [8]

Everest grossed $128 million worldwide during its theatrical run – a figure that remains the highest gross for an IMAX documentary. [2] With domestic takings of $87,178,599, [9] it is the second highest-grossing film (documentary or otherwise) to never reach the top ten in the weekly North American box office charts, [10] and also the second highest-grossing film never to have made the weekly top five. [11]

DVD and soundtrack album

The DVD was released by Miramax on December 12, 1999. It includes a "Making of" featurette, an extended interview with Beck Weathers, deleted scenes, climber video journals, and a 3D map of Mount Everest.

The soundtrack features songs by George Harrison, [4] which composers Steve Wood and Daniel May reinterpreted in the Tibetan folk style as part of their film score. [12] The Everest soundtrack album was released by Ark 21 Records, [13] on March 10, 1998. [14] The music was performed by the Northwest Sinfonia, with May credited as conductor. [13]

The Harrison songs include "All Things Must Pass", "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)", "Here Comes the Sun", "This Is Love" and "Life Itself". Harrison agreed to their use in the film on the understanding that his name would not be used for publicity. [8] According to author Elliot Huntley, MacGillivray chose Harrison's music for its "spiritual quality" and "his ties to eastern religion". [15]

Quotes

Narrator: Just above the high camp, a climber named Beck Weathers had been out in the storm for over 22 hours. He had been left for dead by other climbers, and then, nearly blind, his hands literally frozen solid, Beck stood up, left his pack, and desperately tried to walk.

Weathers: All I knew was that as long as my legs would run and I could stand up, I was gonna move toward that camp, and if I fell down, I was gonna get up. And if I fell down again, I was gonna get up. And I was gonna keep movin' till I either hit that camp, or walked off the face of that mountain.

Paula Viesturs: The difference between me and Ed is, when we go for a five-hour bike ride, I call it a workout … He calls it a warm-up.

Cast

See also

Related Research Articles

Mount Everest Earths highest mountain, part of the Himalaya between Nepal and Tibet

Mount Everest is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation of 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft) was most recently established in 2020 by the Chinese and Nepali authorities.

Tenzing Norgay Nepalese-Indian Sherpa mountaineer

Tenzing Norgay, born Namgyal Wangdi, and also referred to as Sherpa Tenzing, was a Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer. He was one of the first two people known to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which he accomplished with Edmund Hillary on 29 May 1953. Time named Norgay one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

David Breashears American climber

David Finlay Breashears is an American mountaineer, filmmaker, author, and motivational speaker. In 1985, he reached the summit of Mount Everest a second time, becoming the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest more than once. He is perhaps best known as the director and cinematographer of Everest (1998)—which became the highest-grossing IMAX documentary—and for his assistance in the rescue efforts during the 1996 Everest disaster, which occurred during the film's production.

<i>Into Thin Air</i> 1997 nonfiction book by Jon Krakauer

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is a 1997 bestselling nonfiction book written by Jon Krakauer. It details Krakauer's experience in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in which eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a storm. Krakauer's expedition was led by guide Rob Hall. Other groups were trying to summit on the same day, including one led by Scott Fischer, whose guiding agency, Mountain Madness, was perceived as a competitor to Hall's agency, Adventure Consultants.

Ed Viesturs American mountain climber

Edmund Viesturs is a high-altitude mountaineer, corporate speaker, and well known author in the mountain climbing community. He is the only American to have climbed all 14 of the world's eight-thousander mountain peaks, and only the fifth person to do so without using supplemental oxygen. Along with Apa Sherpa, he has summitted peaks of over 8,000 meters on 21 occasions, including Mount Everest seven times; only four other climbers, Phurba Tashi Sherpa Mendewa, Juanito Oiarzabal, Namgyal Sherpa, and Ang Dorje Sherpa, have more high-altitude ascents.

Jamling Tenzing Norgay

Jamling Tenzing Norgay is an Indian-Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer.

Yasuko Namba Japanese mountain climber (1949–1996)

Yasuko Namba was the second Japanese woman to reach all of the Seven Summits. Namba worked as a businesswoman for Federal Express in Japan, but her hobby of mountaineering took her all over the world. She first summited Kilimanjaro on New Year's Day in 1982, and summited Aconcagua exactly two years later. She reached the summit of Denali on July 1, 1985, and the summit of Mount Elbrus on August 1, 1992. After summiting the Vinson Massif on December 29, 1993, and the Carstensz Pyramid on November 12, 1994, Namba's final summit to reach was Mount Everest. She signed on with Rob Hall's guiding company, Adventure Consultants, and reached the summit in May 1996, but died during her descent in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.

Hillary Step Formerly one of the final and most challenging parts in summiting Mt Everest

The Hillary Step used to be a nearly vertical rock face with a height of around 12 metres (40 ft) located near the summit of Mount Everest, about 8,790 metres (28,839 ft) above sea level. Located on the southeast ridge, halfway between the "South Summit" and the true summit, the Hillary Step was the most technically difficult part of the typical Nepal-side Everest climb and the last real challenge before reaching the top of the mountain. The rock face was destroyed by an earthquake that struck the region in 2015.

<i>The Climb</i> (book)

The Climb (1997), republished as The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest, is an account by Russian-Kazakhstani mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev of the 1996 Everest Disaster, during which eight climbers died on the mountain. The co-author, G. Weston DeWalt—who was not part of the expedition—provides accounts from other climbers and ties together the narrative of Boukreev's logbook.

MacGillivray Freeman Films is an American film studio based in Laguna Beach, California and founded in the mid-1960s by Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman. It produces documentaries, feature films, and IMAX films.

1996 Mount Everest disaster Death of eight climbers

The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest season on Mount Everest at the time and the third deadliest after the 22 fatalities resulting from avalanches caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 16 fatalities of the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche. The 1996 disaster received widespread publicity and raised questions about the commercialization of Everest.

1953 British Mount Everest expedition First successful ascent of Mount Everest

The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. Led by Colonel John Hunt, it was organised and financed by the Joint Himalayan Committee. News of the expedition's success reached London in time to be released on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, on the 2nd of June that year.

<i>Everest</i> (2015 film) 2015 film directed by Baltasar Kormákur

Everest is a 2015 biographical survival adventure film directed and produced by Baltasar Kormákur and written by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy. It stars an ensemble cast of Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Martin Henderson and Emily Watson. It is based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, and focuses on the survival attempts of two expedition groups, one led by Rob Hall (Clarke) and the other by Scott Fischer (Gyllenhaal).

Mamta Sodha is an Indian sportsperson, known for her successful 2010 attempt to scale Mount Everest. She was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on her the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of mountaineering sport.

Araceli Segarra

Araceli Segarra is the first Spanish woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. She has also climbed Broad Peak, Kanchenjunga, Shishapangma, and K2, among others.

Adventure Consultants Adventure travel company

Adventure Consultants, formerly Hall and Ball Adventure Consultants, is a New Zealand-based adventure company that brings trekking and climbing groups to various locations. Founded by Rob Hall and Gary Ball in 1991, it is known for its pioneering role in the commercialisation of Mount Everest and the 1996 Mount Everest climb during which eight people died, including Hall, a guide, and two Adventure Consultant clients.

Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award Indian adventure sports award

The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, formerly known as the National Adventure Awards is the highest adventure sports honour of the Republic of India. The award is named after Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two individuals to reach the summit of Mount Everest along with Edmund Hillary in 1953. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The recipients are honoured for their "outstanding achievement in the field of adventure activities on land, sea and air" over the last three years. The lifetime achievement is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated excellence and have devoted themselves in the promotion of adventure sports. As of 2020, the award comprises "a bronze statuette of Tenzing Norgay along with a cash prize of ₹15 lakh (US$19,000)."

References

  1. ↑ "Everest (1998)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Niemi, Robert James (2013). Inspired by True Events: An Illustrated Guide to More Than 500 History-Based Films (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 588. ISBN   978-1-6106-9198-7.
  3. ↑ Van Gelder, Lawrence (March 6, 1998). "Movie Review – Everest IMAX (1998)". The New York Times . Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Baumgarten, Marjorie (October 14, 2014). "Everest". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  5. ↑ Matzer, Marla (March 28, 1998). "'Everest' Lifts Imax to Dramatic New Peaks". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  6. ↑ Badman, Keith (2001). The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001. London: Omnibus Press. p. 588. ISBN   978-0-7119-8307-6.
  7. ↑ Matzer, Marla (March 28, 1998). "'Everest' Lifts Imax to Dramatic New Peaks [cont.]". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Badman, Keith (2001). The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001. London: Omnibus Press. pp. 588–89. ISBN   978-0-7119-8307-6.
  9. ↑ "All-Time Top Grossing IMAX Movies". The Numbers. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Top Grossing Movies That Never Hit #1, the Top 5 or Top 10: Never in the Top 10". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Top Grossing Movies That Never Hit #1, the Top 5 or Top 10: Never in the Top 5". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  12. ↑ Huntley, Elliot J. (2006). Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles. Toronto, ON: Guernica Editions. pp. 278–79. ISBN   978-1-55071-197-4.
  13. 1 2 Koran, David A. (January 27, 2000). "Everest Soundtrack (1998)". Soundtrack.Net. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  14. ↑ Batdorf, Rodney. "Original Soundtrack Everest". AllMusic . Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  15. ↑ Huntley, Elliot J. (2006). Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles. Toronto, ON: Guernica Editions. p. 279. ISBN   978-1-55071-197-4.
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