The Edge (1997)

Writer David Mamet created two engrossing and memorable characters, played by Alec Baldwin as the urbane fashion photographer and Anthony Hopkins as a reserved and intellectual billionaire. They find themselves teamed up against a giant Kodiak bear, and their own inner demons, when lost together in the Alaskan wilderness. There is a lot going on in this picture, as the subject matter includes male rivalry, the isolationism of extreme wealth, and, most conspicuously, the survival of the fittest. Mamet's script, which sounds a little too arch in spots, is well served by New Zealand director Lee Tamahori, who knows how to capture beauty and brutality in one frame. Although the themes are enormous in scope, they are well balanced.


Tagline: They were fighting over a woman when the plane went down. Now, their only chance for survival is each other.

Written by: David Mamet

Directed by: Lee Tamahori

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Elle Macpherson, Harold Perrineau and "Bart the Bear"

Movie Trivia: This film inspired a highly successful TV reality show of the same name in Brazil, where participants were selected from normal people, including executives, graduates and clerks, left in a wild and deserted area of Brazilian landscape and had to survive using techniques similar to the ones mentioned by Anthony Hopkins' character.