Vertical Limit (2000) - Synopsis

Vertical Limit (2000)

An edge-of-your seat, emotionally-charged action-adventure story, VERTICAL LIMIT is a high-adrenaline tale of young climber Peter Garrett (Golden Globe nominee Chris O'Donnell ), who must launch a treacherous and extraordinary rescue effort up K2, the world's second highest peak. Confronting both his own limitations and the awesome power of nature's uncontrollable elements, Peter risks his life to save his sister, Annie (Robin Tunney), and her summit team (Bill Paxton and Nicholas Lea) in a race against time.

Years before, brother and sister were devastated by a horrific climbing accident. Peter made a split-second decision to cut their father's rope to save his sister and himself. In the aftermath, Peter isolated himself as a nature photographer; Annie chased her father's dream to climb the world's highest peaks.

Now, she is trapped in an icy grave at 26,000 feet - a death zone above the vertical limit of endurance where the human body cannot survive for long. Every second counts as Peter enlists the help of a crew of fellow climbers, including eccentric, reclusive mountain man Montgomery Wick (Scott Glenn), to ascend the chilling might of the world's most feared peak to save her.

Martin Campbell, the celebrated director of Mask of Zorro, The (1998) and Goldeneye (1995), delivers high-voltage action and exhilarating suspense in Vertical Limit - a riveting, dramatic story about the strong bond between a brother and his sister, set in an extreme, inhospitable, yet starkly beautiful environment. It is also an adrenaline-pumping action-adventure fueled by courage, determination and will, culminating in a tense battle for survival motivated by family, grief and guilt.

But at Earth's extreme edge, where every breath is a frozen gasp for air and each step takes a lifetime of effort, it's a million miles to redemption.

The cast includes Bill Paxton as wealthy entrepreneur Elliot Vaughn; Nicholas Lea as respected mountain guide Tom McLaren; Scott Glenn as loner Montgomery Wick; Izabella Scorupco as Monique, a beautiful French-Canadian climber and medic; Temuera Morrison as chopper pilot Major Rasul; Ben Mendelsohn and Steve Le Marquand as the brash Australians the Bench brothers; and Alexander Siddig as courageous porter Kareem.

Vertical Limit is directed by Martin Campbell from an original screenplay by Robert King and Terry Hayes. Story is by Robert King. Producers are Lloyd Phillips, Robert King and Martin Campbell. Executive producer is Marcia Nasatir. Director of photography is David Tattersall, BSC; editor is Oscar™ winner Thom Noble; production designer is Jon Bunker; and costume designer is Graciela Mazon. The music is composed by multiple Academy AwardÒ nominee James Newton Howard.