Dove Review

The Mountain Between Us is a realistic portrayal of survival after a plane carrying two passengers crashes on a mountain, covered by snow. The pilot is killed and the two survivors, Ben (Idris Elba) and Alex (Kate Winslet), are left to fend for themselves. Well, not quite. The pilot’s dog survives and he does help out in a few instances. Ben and Alex wind up calling him “Walter’s dog” as they don’t know his name. Beau Bridges plays Walter the pilot. With these two thrown together, the film does raise interesting questions in the viewer’s mind. Would I make the same decisions as they do? How would I react, thrown together with another person and having to depend on that other person to help me survive? In this case Ben, a surgeon, has to help the injured Alex, a journalist, by treating her wounds and carrying her urine away in a pot.

When they become their most frustrated—they are short on food, warmth, and hope—they blame each other for the circumstances. The airline canceled the flight of the plane they were both going to travel on and it was Alex that arranged for the small plane to take them to their destination. Yet, as they continue to rely on each other, they begin to form a bond that becomes more powerful and turns romantic. Is it real? Or is it the circumstances of them relying on each other for survival? Do they get rescued or find their way to civilization? Do they stay together? The acting is strong and the story unfolds nicely in a naturalistic setting in the mountains and woods. Due to several strong utterances of language and a sex scene, we are unable to present our Dove Seal to the film. It does a good job in showcasing great locations and prompting the viewer to consider the choices that would have to be made if he/she were in an identical situation.

Dove Rating Details

0

Faith

No overt faith message

2

Integrity

The violence of the plane crash; a dead man is seen with some blood on his face; a woman is seen with blood on her face; a dead man is buried in the snow; a dog is heard being attacked by a cougar and he whines; a woman shoots a cougar in the face with a flare gun; a man injures his foot and leg when he accidentally steps into a bear trap.

3

Sex

Kissing is shown between a few couples; a sex scene that, although doesn't become strongly graphic, still shows a lot of passion between a couple and exploring of each other's body—and the woman is engaged to be married.

4

Language

Several utterances of "JC," "J," "Lord," "OMG," "F," and "S"

2

Violence

The violence of the plane crash; a dead man is seen with some blood on his face; a woman is seen with blood on her face; a dead man is buried in the snow; a dog is heard being attacked by a cougar and he whines; a woman shoots a cougar in the face with a flare gun; a man injures his foot and leg when he accidentally steps into a bear trap.

1

Drugs

Drinking in a few scenes

2

Nudity

Cleavage in a couple of scenes; a shirtless man is seen; part of a woman's breast is seen through her thin T-shirt.

2

Other

Tension between characters; a woman falls into the water when the ice breaks on a lake and she almost drowns; a man carries a woman's urine out of the plane and dumps it outside.