Alive

Alive Photos

View All Photos (15)

Cast & Crew

Ethan Hawke
Nando Parrado

Vincent Spano
Antonio Balbi

Josh Hamilton
Roberto Canessa

Bruce Ramsay
Carlitos Páez

John Haymes Newton
Antonio "Tintín" Vizintín

David Kriegel
Gustavo Zerbino

Kevin Breznahan
Roy Harley

Sam Behrens
Javier Methol

Illeana Douglas
Lilliana Methol

Jack Noseworthy
Bobby François

Frank Marshall
Director

Robert Watts
Producer

Kathleen Kennedy
Producer

John Patrick Shanley
Screenwriter

Piers Paul Read
Writer (Book)

James Newton Howard
Original Music

Peter James
Cinematographer

William Goldenberg
Film Editor

Michael Kahn
Film Editor

Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Alive

Critic Reviews for Alive

Audience Reviews for Alive

• May 27, 2012

  A thrilling true story of survival, Alive is a good film with a good cast. The film is a must see, but compared to other survivalist films, is not excellent by any means. I felt that some of the dialogue was cheesy, and that the script at times didn't. Frank Marshall's directing is clumsy at times, but he's able to direct something consistent most of the time. Alive could have been much better than this, but it somehow succeeds at delivering everything you'd expect from a survival drama, even with its imperfections. This is a good film about the courage of the human spirit, and though it isn't perfect, it's an entertaining film that is a remarkable story, however considering that, it could have been better. Some parts of the film are cheesy, and tend to go for the feel good factor too often. Alive could have been a great film, one to remember, however as a whole it ends up just being a good film, instead of the great film that it tried to be. There's just something missing from this film to really make it a standout survival drama film. I think that the script is slightly undeveloped and could have been better than what it turned out to be. Nonetheless, this is a good film with a good cast who deliver some good performances, but it does lack sometimes, and feels almost cheesy despite the subject matter. I think that the film could have been a bit more authentic in the way the events unfolded, and that the filmmakers could have toned down the traditional Hollywood drama, and presented the full facts. Despite its flaws, Alive is still a film worth seeing.
  Alex r Super Reviewer
• Mar 24, 2011

  <i>"I'm proud to be a man on a day like this."</i> Uruguayan rugby team stranded in the snow swept Andes are forced to use desperate measures to survive after a plane crash. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Frank Marshall's film adaptation of the book recounting the 1972 plane crash in the Andes of a Uruguayan soccer team is a long (try about 2 and 3/4 hours) film that spares little in the grueling endurance test that the surviving members of the crash face. It was (in 1993) populated by a mostly nameless cast in a deft move by producers to keep the characters involved central to the story. Ethan Hawke is about the biggest name in this film,and even though his character carries much of the weight of the movie's storyline, the group effort to endure and ultimately survive this trial is still the true focus here. To me, this film was very difficult to watch, and the cannibalism storyline (which is dealt with very tastefully and soberly) is not my primary reason for that. As mentioned before, it is a long and detailed recount, where you the audience feel the shock, pain, expectations, dashed hopes, fears, tragedies, soul-searching, grief and (finally) joy of everyone involved. It is a gut-wrenching experience all around and I dare anyone who sees this film and pays any attention to it to say otherwise.
  Lorenzo v Super Reviewer
• Dec 28, 2010

  A lot of the acting is sloppy, but the true story adaption of the Andes Mountains incident is inspirational through the teamwork and hope displayed.
  

  Dillon L Super Reviewer
• Nov 24, 2010

  Based on the actual events that happened from October to December 1972, Alive follows a group of passengers from Montevideo, Uruguay (a majority of the group being part of a rugby team) who get stranded in the Andes when their plane crashes there after getting caught in bad weather. With little amounts of food in the snowy mountains, the survivors have to resort to cannibalism in order to survive. This is another movie I've seen after learning about the events behind it in school. This is a film that hasn't gotten much viewing from critics on this site and that doesn't feel right because this was a really good movie in the drama genre. Pros: *The cast was well picked for this movie and I'm saying this even though I don't really know a lot of the actors who were in this movie. The only ones I really knew were Ethan Hawke who played Nando and John Malkovich who speaks in the opening and closing of the film. Even though the cast was rather unknown to me, they did a fine job. *The overall spirit displayed in this movie is done really well. I think its safe to say that movies like this are generally going to be good. I mean, I am writing this review the same time that film about that hiker Aron Ralston, 127 Hours, has come out and it has received critical acclaim. Cons: *I didn't really mind the casting even though it attracted some controversy. Same thing happened with The Last Airbender this year (believe or not, the director of Alive produced Last Airbender (good reason for me using this reference). The biggest problem I saw with this movie is its slight inconsistency. Generally, if someone is 'trapped' in a perilous situation for many days, weeks, or even months, they are generally going to be looking like they've been through hell. Here, it just looks like they were living in luxury because aside from the men growing beards, there was no indication from their overall look that the survivors were in a bad situation and were suffering. The situation is the only real thing that describes what they are going through. Even with that somewhat major gripe, Alive is an excellent film and one of the best survival films I have ever seen. It is just one of those movies that displays strong will, spirit, and character that some movies don't show. In all, it is one of the finest of the early 90's.
  Sean N Super Reviewer

Alive Quotes

Movie & TV guides