The Edge Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
They were fighting over a woman when the plane went down. Now, their only chance for survival is each other.
Billionaire Charles Morse accompanies his supermodel wife Mickey to photo shoot at Alaska. The shoot is to be made by fashion photographer Robert Green. To find specific Indian for the shoot, they fly to even more distant location, where their small plane crashes into a lake. To survive in the woods full of man-killing bears they need each other, but the smarter of the men - Charles is suspicious that Robert is having an affair with his wife.
| Anthony Hopkins | Charles Morse |
| L. Q. Jones | Styles |
| Alec Baldwin | Robert Green |
| Elle Macpherson | Mickey Morse |
| Harold Perrineau | Stephen |
| Bart the Bear | The Bear |
| Kathleen Wilhoite | Ginny |
| David Lindstedt | James |
| Mark Kiely | Mechanic |
| Eli Gabay | Jet Pilot |
| Larry Musser | Amphibian Pilot |
| Kelsa Kinsly | Reporter |
| Gordon Tootoosis | Jack Hawk |
| Lee Tamahori |
6.60 out of 10 (7154 votes)
Visitor Reviews
worthy adventure
posted on 18 Aug 2009The Edge lived up to my expectations, overall a very action packed adventure. Anthony Hopkins plays an intelligent billionaire who goes with his model wife played by real model Elle Macpherson to Alaska for a photo shoot. Alec Baldwin a photographer he and Hopkins fly to find a friend when the plane crashes in the middle of the wild, the adventure begins as they fight to survive against a mean grizzly, no food, and the harsh elements. Hopkins and Baldwin are excellent in this action thriller not to be missed.
Not bad at all
posted on 13 Jul 2009Despite more than its fair share of cliches, and a pretty awful performance from Elle Macpherson, The Edge wins on points thanks to a tight script from David Mamet, two classy central performances, and some wonderfully effective direction from Lee Tamahori. For the most part the film is undeniably gripping, with sustained tension and excitement throughout, the atmosphere only really failing with an unnecessary and trite plot twist in the final reel. Well worth a watch.
One of my all-time favorites
posted on 11 May 2009My favorite line, of all my favorites, is when Alec's character hassle's Anthony's about his army of accountants, secretaries and lawyers. He tell's Morse that if a bear reared up, that he'd sick his lawyers on the bear, to which Morse replies "Oh, I'd never do THAT to an animal!" Classic! Aside from this, dealing with greed, fear, lust, and power, Baldwin and Hopkins pull off a great story with a great ending. So many of today's films try to entertain without any deep meaning to convey. The Edge deals with the above and so many other human emotions and drives, so well! Finally the notion of quiet determined patience shines through, as Hopkins tries to help the other survive the ordeal by reminding them that they will get through if they just remain calm and work together.
they who won't fight, won't survive
posted on 21 Mar 2009I always thought Anthony was the perfect guy to play a son of a gun, but after seeing this movie I realise he can do much more then that! the man he is playing (Charles) is a wonderful guy and I really have no idea why his wife is cheating on him. Alec Baldwin always was the good guy in my eyes but I really hated him in this movie! I really love this film! and in a way I think everybody will find something in this movie that will touch him/her.the end is very strong in my eyes, when he gives Roberts (Alec) watch to his wife I really cried! haha it was very simple but I think it was one of the most great parts of the movie.and when he answers the questions of those reporters.... it made me realise why he helped Robert even when Robert tried to kill him, he helped.this is my number one movie, it really is.if you didn't see it yet, rush to the video store and rent it!!!xxxx cinderella
Somewhat witty & drags on
posted on 15 Mar 2009This movie seemed to me that it was a sleeper during the long wooded scenes. Anthony Hopkins crafts natural survival tools & uses wit to stay alive in the wilderness. Hopkins plays the optimistic one. Alec Baldwin plays an okay role of smart remarks & has some pessimism. If you watch the movie you'll know what I'm talking about. Mainly this comes down to desperation to be rescued from the woods with no help from civilization in site. Note: You'll realize the animosity Baldwin has towards Hopkins during the movie. I won't make this a full spoiler for you if you plan on watching this film.
One problem...
posted on 16 Feb 2009First off, I would like to ask why did they even cast Mr. Perrineau's character as a black man? It would have worked just as well with another ethnicity. It's so mind-numbingly stereotypical that the black man (the only one in the movie!), dies first. I mean come on man, cripes!Desipte this, The Edge is still one of the better movies of 1997. Anthony Hopkins is(as always) simply superb, as is Baldwin. The script is excellent and the cinematography is breathtaking in many scenes. But it's the major themes of this movie that make it great. The classic man vs. nature theme, reminiscent of the great American "naturalist" stories of Jack London, is extremely well done(the treatment of the bear is a little too extreme at times though). The movie ends with a statement worthy of the London tradition and the closing sequnce is one of the best in any recent movie. (9/10).
This is an incredible movie
posted on 10 Feb 2009I can't believe some guy brainlessly said "it sucked!" This was an exceptional movie, but unfortunately I have been unable to find it on DVD. The play between Hopkins and Baldwin is very intelligent, and keeps you guessing until the end, and just when you think you know the score, you don't. Then it ends, rather surprisingly. It brought me to tears. A really great action movie about betrayal and friendship, and starting over again.
Terrific Action Adventure
posted on 30 Nov 2008"The Edge" is a terrific movie, not just as an action movie but as whole. I went to see this film because I thought it looked interesting, my expectations were shattered, this is a well written, well acted, well directed thriller. Anthony Hopkins as always turns in a great performance but the big suprise is Alec Baldwin who did just as well. This film has some of the best dialogue ever written for a movie of this type, and the action scenes are clever and blazingly paced. This is a terrific movie.
A Thinking Person's Action Movie
posted on 25 Oct 2008"The Edge" is an example of what can happen when filmmakers respect the essential intelligence of their audience, even when making a film whose putative genre is not exactly known for highly intellectual entries. The film tells the story of three people who are lost in the Canadian Rockies when their plane crashes. From this pedestrian-sounding premise comes a movie that is really about the relationship that develops between two very different men: a brilliant, intellectual billionaire, played with characteristic genius by Anthony Hopkins, and a fashion photographer, played by Alec Baldwin. As the movie progresses, the superficial friendliness that they showed each other in civilization is destroyed and replaced by something much more complex and interesting. The dialogue, written by dialogue god David Mamet, is clever, rhythmic, and thought -provoking. The visceral aspects are also wonderful, with the unbelievably beautiful Canadian wilderness in the background and a rather high-tension action/adventure plot in the foreground. Overall, this is a tense, clever, and wildly entertaining film.Overall Rating: 9 (out of 10), or 4 stars (out of 4)
I just don't get it...
posted on 16 Oct 2008After reading most of the comments on this movie I'm left absolutely baffled. Did we actually watch the same movie? Hopkins just doesn't cut it as "the clever rich guy" and Alec Baldwin is just his plain old wooden self. The movie makes absolutely no sense whatsover: 1) How did three men survive a plain crash without a scratch? OK, I know they "crashed" into water, but no injuries whatsover? I don't think so. 2) Why did Stephen almost cut of his leg when he was using a pocket knife to make a spear? 3) How did they manage to make bearskin jackets without needles and thread and without even drying the skin? 4) How did they skin the bear? 5) Why would anyone leave a rifle (with bullets!) in a deserted cabin? I can go on and on... This is simply a bad movie that makes no sense at all. There are quite a few good movies about "man vs nature", but this isn't one of them.
Survival-in-the-wild picture is a big lie
posted on 25 Sep 2008The biggest picture of all time, Jaws, was largely responsible for the ensuing massacre of the world's sharks, ninety per cent of which are reported to have been eradicated, doing inestimable damage to the world's oceanic life. The Edge is in the same league, pretending to make a film about nature while producing a grotesque travesty that could well influence attitudes enough to produce approval of the massacre of large bears. Putting aside the movie's plot, which involves the testing of the billionaire hero's character, the villain role, the great white shark part, is played by a very large feral bear. Just as the shark in Jaws was a ludicrous travesty of reality, so is the bear in The Edge. "He;s a man-eater, he's been stalking us all the way!" shouts the genius billionaire, spouting pure delusion. Bears are not predators, they have no ability to "stalk" anyone. They have poor eyesight and blunder through the forest, treading on brittle sticks and brushing noisily against undergrowth. The mere tinkling of a bell is enough to attract their attention and send them shambling off in another direction, which is why prudent walkers wear bells. Trouble is, David Mamet, the big genius movie guy, needed something really bad to menace his hero, and a "man-eater" that "stalks" humans was the answer. This has far less validity than a steaming pile of fresh bear excrement. But the great man's need has been fulfilled, the world of bears cannot fight back, and a big injection of stupid prejudice against bears has been released into circulation to play again and again on late-night television when viewers' mental defences are down. I live in a part of the world where grizzly bears are constantly under threat from morons with guns, and this kind of movie gives those fools the stamp of approval and is really pernicious. Avoid like the plague.
Are men more than animals?
posted on 11 Aug 2008The Edge reminded me of the old Kipling quote, that to be a superior man means to keep your head when everyone around you is loosing theirs!Its is my favorite survival film, & one of the best of Baldwin & Hopkin's careers. In addition to a great cast (check out Michael from LOST!), interesting characters & great action, the film asks many questions of the audience - Why do some succeed where others fail? How do we look at success - when we see it in others, do we feel envy or admiration? I think that the central message of the film is that in order to prevail in any difficult endeavor, people must rise above their "lower", "animal" instincts like fear & selfishness, and embrace "higher" qualities like self-control, intellect, compassion, & sacrifice.
Total rubbish - do not bother watching
posted on 11 Aug 2008This movie is total rubbish. It looked good on the video box cover (looked like there might be good shots of Alaska wilderness and a good plot). But the film is rubbish.Idiotic modelling theme put in with Alec Baldwin (who is usually an excellent actor, like in Nuremberg, etc.) playing a photographer. He swears a lot (which is not necessary in this film). Plus, there's some token black man who joins Baldwin and Hopkins on their flight over to see some old bloke in a log cabin - yet there is absolutely no motivation or explanation for why he joins them! (he just turns up in the plane, presumably as the essential token black character).I gave up after 55 minutes - it was the same old cliche, with a big brown bear chasing them while they constructed a makeshift bridge over a deep gorge. Has that been done before, or what? The bear conveniently just roars everytime the moronic director needs to inject some form of suspense into the plot, without ever getting any closer to them.The film is complete rubbish, don't bother renting it.
Step Away.
posted on 12 Jun 2008A book worm billionaire (Anthony Hopkins), a photographer (Alec Baldwin) and his assistant (Harold Perrineau, Jr.) are involved with a terrifying plane crash and must survive on their own in this could-have-been film that bores more than it intrigues. There is friction though between Hopkins and Baldwin as Hopkins' model wife (Elle Macpherson) is having an affair with the famed photographer. Hopkins knows this, but he knows he must put all problems aside if the three are to survive. The film is part "Survivor", but plays like a two-man show ala "Sleuth" too much to be a success. Baldwin just cannot match Hopkins' brilliance and Hopkins sometimes struggles with a screenplay that roams all over the map. Just a ho-hum film that will not entertain most movie-goers. 2 stars out of 5.
..predcitable, but great...
posted on 09 Jun 2008What a treat to see an action-movie without a lot of gunshots and/or explosions !, but one with some intelligent portrayals of the human psyche. Lee Tamahori's directing and David Mamet's script surely added-up to a tense tale. I thought it was a much more recent movie, but it certainly doesn't matter: every role was complete.The moral or the film is, stay out of the wilderness if you have any doubts about the people in the party. "Steve" (Harold Perrineau) lets us know why "Charles" (Anthony Hopkins) is down in the dumps: he's dying, it is apparent his gorgeous wife is having an affair with the fashion-photographer (Alec Baldwin), his life has been uneventful except for his great wealth and he's at this point in his life without an idea how to make it bearable. We are given no inkling why he lets himself be talked into a flight into the wilderness to find an unknown Indian (the great Tootoosis from "Legends of the Fall"; he should have had some dialog). The movie really begins with the unexpected (but totally believable) crash of the plane.......and "Charles'" rescue of a much younger, stronger man. We then discover the relevance of the knife given to him as a birthday-present by his wife - it's importance is shown throughout the movie, as is calm control is more important than brawn.Whether it's a Kodiak or grissly bear, they're not friendly and "Bart" gave us a wonderful performance. You go to the wilderness, I'll watch it on the DVD. The build-up for the plot is brief, but the action never stops once it beings.....and we are taught, if we didn't already know, that human reaction is seldom what we expect. "Charles" learns his compassion is genuine, matched against the slimy "Bob". Too bad "Steve" is devoured by the bear, but his demise is essential to the further development of Hopkins' and Baldwin's characters.Although there are several situations in this movie which give you pause, who cares? The story, in such a crystalline and unspoiled wilderness (Canada, not Alaska), sparkles even in its dark elements. Close attention clearly shows that danger can point the way to a new life, and give us the fortitude to live it.Hopkins' final line, "they died saving my life", is touching and revealing.Hopkins and Baldwin are excellent in their roles. The music is great. The cinematography is flawless. The colorful "pan-and-scan" suited me perfectly - I wanted to watch the actors; the beauty of the scenery was apparent in every frame. This movie will be one of my favorites for a very long time - congratulations to all who brought it to the screen.
Never get sick of it
posted on 13 May 2008The fact that I love Anthony Hopkins just adds to how much I love this movie. His charming persona is perfect for portraying an intelligent, resourceful billionaire. Besides that though, I loved this movie because I can never, no matter how hard I might try, get sick of this movie. The struggle between man and nature is the oldest of all time, and it makes you think. Seriously, it does. What would you do if there was a freakishly clever, man eating bear chasing after you? --Personally, I think I'd lose it, but that's just me-- I also love this movie because it never fails in scaring the bejesus out of me. (Being eaten alive by a bear isn't on my top ten list of "ways to die", thank you very much)I remember the first time I saw this movie, and bear with me (... no pun intended...) I wouldn't go outside for a month because the area I live in is full of bears. Fun huh? Overanalysis and serious critiquing aside, (man vs nature/self/man, killing the bear= elimination of fear/restoration of self, etc, etc, etc) this is a good movie I think you should watch. Simply because it's one of those "what if it was you?" films. The cinematography is great, you really get into it (or at least I did =P) and, minus the blood and such, it's really a beautiful film that also makes you glad you're safe and warm wherever your TV is. (now to get my boyfriend to watch it with me and get scared as well)
Bart steals the show
posted on 07 Apr 2008This movie is one that I can never stop watching, if it comes on TV or someone rents it. First of all, the scenery is magnificent! The wilds of Alaska are probably one of the last great "otherworlds" of our planet. And, Anthony Hopkins has always been one of the best looking actors out there, to me. So, now you've got a cool looking guy, playing a brain (yowza!!), a rich one at that, and some beautiful scenery. A flock of wild geese bring down the plane. From that point on, it's non-stop action. ANY time you think that these men might make it out of there, here comes BART to prove otherwise! I love how Bart (the grizzly) is just relentless!! He is determined to eat these fellows, or at least one of them. Go Bart! ( eat the liberal, watch him run ) Ah, it's a great story, and acted very well.I do in all honesty feel sorry, for the grizzly bear. I don't care how much his real life trainers may say he "loves" them; I just can't see keeping a creature like that as a pet, confined, and domesticated. They are magnificent creatures who should be respected ( aka left alone ). I would feel the same way seeing a human kept, very well, in a Martian zoo. It's just not right.In the end, Charles (Hopkins) walks up to his wife, who he has learned has been seriously unfaithful to him. He lets her know that he knows. But then, when asked by the reporter about the other man (Baldwin), who we as the audience know was trying to kill Charles, Charles states that (Baldwin) "saved my life". Okay, what does that mean? does it mean that Baldwin pointed out to Charles what a farce his marriage was, and the truth has set him free? Or that, through his experience with Baldwin, and with Bart, that he now feels complete as a human, knowing that he survived in the deep forest, using only his brains and instinct? If anyone knows the answer, as to how Baldwin "saved his life" please let me in. thanks!!
A pretty awesome movie
posted on 21 Aug 2009The plot is good, the acting is very good. Although Hopkins' character feels a little surreal; he from time to time seems to be a little too calm, emotionless person. Baldwin's character is much more realistic. A very rough, cocky character. Morse and Green, their characters, are very different and they don't like each other, but now they must rely on each other. Since I'm only 15, I haven't had time to watch any more films with Hopkins and Baldwin. Anyhow, it's a pretty awesome movie about survival in the wilderness. Morse and Green soon find out that except for the dangers of the wilderness (like the kodiak bear that's stalking them), they also fear each other. It's worth watching.