The Mountain Between Us Parent Guide

It is the day before Alex Martin’s (Kate Winslet) wedding, and the bride-to-be is anxious to get home from a photo-journalist assignment in time to walk down the aisle. Dr. Ben Bass (Idris Elba) is just leaving a medical conference and needs to be back by morning to perform a complicated surgery. Both find themselves grounded at the airport due to a pending snowstorm.

Undeterred by the weather forecast, Alex puts her can-do attitude into high gear and charters a private plane to get around the problem. Having overheard Ben’s plight at the ticket desk, she offers the stranger the seconded seat on her flight. It is a creative, cost-sharing work-around that Alex is almost proud of – until the pilot (Beau Bridges) starts having a stroke while the trio (plus one dog) are soaring over a desolate stretch of mountain tops somewhere between Idaho and Colorado.

The spectacular crash that follows leaves the airman dead (we see his corpse), Alex unconscious with bloody injuries and a broken leg, and Ben with cracked ribs, scrapes and bruises. Drawing on his strong medical knowledge and best survival skills, Ben attempts to keep the living alive. It isn’t until Alex awakens that he discovers the biggest mountain between them may not be the snow covered peak they are stranded on.

It comes down to conflicting opinions. Alex thinks they should pack up and start walking towards civilization – even though she has no idea where that may be and she only has one good leg. Ben is sure it is smarter to stay put and wait for rescue – even though he knows the pilot never posted a flight plan. Yet as time goes by, and their meager food rations dwindle, his responsible approach begins to look less logical, and her reckless one more courageous.

Most of the movie depicts the pair’s harrowing and hobbling descent, where they encounter extreme temperatures, hungry wildlife, slippery slopes and thin ice. All the while Alex and Ben are contending with starvation and dehydration too. Despite their differences, one thing becomes abundantly clear: sticking together is the best chance either of them has for survival.

Family viewers expecting a wilderness endurance test won’t be surprised by the sense of peril evoked by the cliffhanger plot nor the few profanities (plus one sexual expletive) that escape during tense times. Of course, the audience also knows they will have cuddle together to stay warm. However, they may not anticipate this couple finding an opportunity for a long sexual interlude, nor the amount of detail the passionate portrayal includes. (You’ll see kissing, undressing, fondling and facial expressions that would have come with sexual sounds if the musical score hadn’t drowned them out.)

Giving as much screen time to the emotional journey as the struggle against the relentless elements, the story manages to stay engaging despite its manipulation of societal commitments (like engagement and marriage) and physical obstructions (like the rugged landscape). It puts the spotlight on Ben’s self-sacrifice and Alex’s dogged determination. For these characters, as well as in real life, these personal traits prove important ingredients for navigating natural calamities and affairs of the heart.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.