Alive (1993)

Director:

Frank Marshall

Writers (WGA):

Piers Paul Read (book)
John Patrick Shanley (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 January 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

They survived the impossible...by doing the unthinkable.

Plot:

Uruguayan rugby team stranded in the snow swept Andes are forced to use desperate measures to survive after a plane crash.

Plot Keywords:

Rugby | Rugby Team | Mountain | Stranded | Snow

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Ethan Hawke	...	Nando Parrado
Vincent Spano	...	Antonio Balbi
Josh Hamilton	...	Roberto Canessa
Bruce Ramsay	...	Carlitos Páez
John Newton	...	Antonio 'Tintín' Vizintín (as John Haymes Newton)
David Kriegel	...	Gustavo Zerbino
Kevin Breznahan	...	Roy Harley
Sam Behrens	...	Javier Methol
Illeana Douglas	...	Lilliana Methol
Jack Noseworthy	...	Bobby François
Christian J. Meoli	...	Federico Aranda
Jake Carpenter	...	Alberto Artuna
Michael DeLorenzo	...	Rafael Cano (as Michael De Lorenzo)
José Zúñiga	...	Fraga, the Mechanic
Danny Nucci	...	Hugo Díaz
David Cubitt	...	Fito Strauch
Gian DiDonna	...	Eduardo Strauch (as Gian Di Donna)
John Cassini	...	Daniel Fernández
Michael Woolson	...	Juan Martino
Chad Willett	...	Pablo Montero
Richard Ian Cox	...	Moncho Sabella
Gordon Currie	...	Coche Inciarte
Ele Keats	...	Susana Parrado
Josh Lucas	...	Felipe Restano (as Joshua Lucas)
Silvio Pollio	...	Álex Morales
Nuno Antunes	...	Álvaro Mangino
Michael Tayles	...	Pancho Delgado
Steven Shayler	...	Pedro Algorta
Jason Gaffney	...	Víctor Bolarich
Jerry Wasserman	...	Co-Pilot
Michael Sicoly	...	Pilot Julio César Ferradas
Diana Barrington	...	Mrs. Alfonsín
Jan D'Arcy	...	Eugenia Parrado
Frank Pellegrino	...	Steward
Seth Arnett	...	Tomás Alonso (as Seth James Arnett)
Aurelio Dinunzio	...	Dr. Solana
Fiona Roeske	...	Mrs. Solana
Tony Morelli	...	Martínez, the Navigator
Pat Romano	...	Jorge Armas
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Malkovich	...	Old Carlitos / Narrator (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Marshall

Writing credits (WGA)
Piers Paul Read		(book)
John Patrick Shanley		(screenplay)

Produced by
Bruce Cohen	....	co-producer
Kathleen Kennedy	....	producer
Robert Watts	....	producer

Original Music by
James Newton Howard

Cinematography by
Peter James

Film Editing by
William Goldenberg
Michael Kahn

Casting by
Valorie Massalas

Production Design by
Norman Reynolds

Art Direction by
Fred Hole		(as Frederick Hole)

Set Decoration by
Tedd Kuchera

Costume Design by
Jennifer L. Parsons

Makeup Department
Lorna Barria	....	special makeup effects artist
Donna Bis	....	hair department head
Russell Cate	....	special makeup effects artist
Nick Dudman	....	makeup artist: John Malkovitch
Linda Gill	....	makeup artist
Raymond Mackintosh	....	special makeup effects artist
Robert A. Pandini	....	hair stylist
Gordon J. Smith	....	special makeup effects designer

Production Management
Stewart Bethune	....	unit manager
Stewart Bethune	....	unit manager: second unit
Justis Greene	....	unit production manager
Crawford Hawkins	....	post-production supervisor: Vancouver

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Bannerman	....	second assistant director
Richard Coleman	....	first assistant director: second unit
Katterli Frauenfelder	....	first assistant director
Jacquie Gould	....	third assistant director
John Lind	....	third assistant director
Norman Reynolds	....	second unit director

Art Department
Chris Claridge	....	construction foreman
Adrian Dowell	....	scenic carpenter
Dean Eilertson	....	assistant property master
R.D. 'Luther' Fairbairn	....	assistant property master
John Hamilton	....	lead painter
Mark Howes	....	scenic carpenter
Charles Leitrants	....	construction coordinator
David Lowery	....	storyboard artist
Dale Menzies	....	carpenter
Bill Thumm	....	property master (as Bill Thumm)

Sound Department
Willy Allen	....	foley artist
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer
Christopher Assells	....	sound effects editor
Eric Batut	....	sound mixer
Gregg Baxter	....	supervising sound editor
Tony Currie	....	dialogue editor
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	adr editor
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	dialogue editor
Scott Martin Gershin	....	supervising sound designer
Chris Glyn-Jones	....	boom operator
Victor Iorillo	....	foley artist
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Lanza	....	sound effects editor
Glenn T. Morgan	....	dialogue editor
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matt Patterson	....	sound recordist
Frank Smathers	....	sound effects editor
Wylie Stateman	....	sound editor
Peter Michael Sullivan	....	foley artist
Bill Voigtlander	....	adr editor
Marshall Winn	....	foley artist
George Tarrant	....	sound mixer: second unit (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Brian Q. Kelley	....	effects editorial
Michael Lantieri	....	special effects consultant
Lars Lenander	....	chief mechanical designer
Jules Mann	....	assistant model maker
Reg Milne	....	special effects assistant
Randy Shymkiw	....	special effects unit coordinator
Terry Sonderhoff	....	special effects technician
John Thomas	....	special effects coordinator
Dan Cervin	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Joel Aron	....	lead technical assistant
Jil-Sheree Bergin	....	visual effects producer
Scott Farrar	....	special visual effects supervisor
Bill George	....	visual effects art director
Michael Gleason	....	visual effects editor
John Goodson	....	model maker
Jennifer Lee	....	optical line-up: ILM
Richard Miller	....	model maker
Jim Morris	....	general manager: ILM
Vance Piper	....	effects camera assistant
William Powloski	....	visual effects
Stuart Robertson	....	digital effects supervisor: ILM
Leah Anton	....	digital artist (uncredited)
Wendy Bonn	....	visual effects apprentice (uncredited)
Scott Ross	....	general manager: ILM (uncredited)

Stunts
Charles Andre	....	stunts
Jim Dunn	....	stunt double: John Newton
Jim Dunn	....	stunts
Gary Hymes	....	stunt coordinator
David Jacox	....	stunts (as David Jacox Jr.)
Kirk Jarrett	....	stunts (as James Kirk Jarrett)
Connie Kennedy	....	stunts
J.J. Makaro	....	stunt coordinator: Canada
Mike Mitchell	....	stunts
Fred Perron	....	stunts
Tom Raudaschl	....	stunts
Jacob Rupp	....	stunts
Brian Smrz	....	stunts
Dawn Stofer-Rupp	....	stunts
Melissa R. Stubbs	....	stunts
Marc Whalen	....	stunts
Brent Woolsey	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dan Bennett	....	best boy grip
Marco Ciccone	....	second assistant camera
Douglas Craik	....	first assistant camera
David Crone	....	Steadicam operator (as Dave Crone)
David Crone	....	camera operator (as Dave Crone)
Andre Fleuren	....	photography: second unit
Glen Forrieter	....	dolly grip
Bobby Huber	....	key grip
Gaetan Jalbert	....	gaffer: treck unit
John Le Roy	....	key rigging grip
Marty McInally	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Carey Toner	....	grip
Roger Vernon	....	camera operator
Steve Wright	....	helicopter pilot: camera helicopter (as Steven J. Wright)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michelle Baines	....	costume set supervisor
Barbara Marko Friedman	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Carlyn Montes De Oca	....	first assistant film editor
Phil Downey	....	color timer
Caroline Hardon	....	assistant editor: Canada
Mark L. Levine	....	assistant editor
William Shaffer	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Chris Boardman	....	orchestrator
Brad Dechter	....	orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor
James Newton Howard	....	orchestrator
Michael Mason	....	score co-producer
Mark McKenzie	....	orchestrator
David Olson	....	music editor
Marty Paich	....	conductor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Jim Weidman	....	music editor

Other crew
Chris Atkinson	....	mountain safety crew
Paul Berstein	....	mountain safety crew (as Paul Berntson)
Beth Cahn	....	assistant to producer
Gina D'Orazio	....	assistant: Frank Marshall
Scott Flavelle	....	mountain safety crew
Gretchen Goode	....	production coordinator
Leesa Green	....	craft service
George Grieve	....	aviation coordinator
Daniel Griffith	....	mountain safety crew
Dow Griffith	....	location manager
Hector McKenzie	....	mountain safety crew (as Hector MacKenzie)
Robin Mounsey	....	helicopter coordinator
Robin Mounsey	....	mountain safety coordinator
Lee Anne Muldoon	....	unit publicist
Nando Parrado	....	technical advisor
Dan Perri	....	title designer: main titles
Allen E. Taylor	....	production accountant
Steve Wright	....	helicopter coordinator (as Steven J. Wright)

Production Companies

• Film Andes S.A.
• Paramount Pictures
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1993) (Non-USA) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Non-USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Australia) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Touchstone Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Touchstone Home Video (1996) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Touchstone Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Argentina)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Spain)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• D. Bassett & Associates  negative cutting
• Gastown Film Labs  color timing
• Hollywood Records  soundtrack
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Skywalker Sound  sound re-recording
• Soundelux  sound post-production
• Technicolor  prints
• Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Studios  music recorded at
• Walt Disney Pictures and Television  for purposes of copyright law in the United Kingdom this picture was created by

Also Known As:

Alive: The Miracle of the Andes
¡Viven! (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Les survivants (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Életben maradtak (Hungary) [hu]
Überleben! (Germany) [de]
Alive (Finland) (DVD title) [fi]
Alive - 20 år efter miraklet i Anderna (Sweden) [sv]
Alive - Dramat w Andach (Poland) [pl]
Alive - Sopravvissuti (Italy) [it]
Elossa! (Finland) (video title) [fi]
Estamos Vivos (Portugal) [pt]
Leich'yot (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Oi epizisantes (Greece) [el]
Vi lever (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Vivos (Brazil) [pt]
Zivi (Slovenia) [sl]

MPAA:

Rated R for crash scenes too intense for unaccompanied children.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | South Korea:15 | USA:R (Certificate #32112) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Film Andes S.A.

Trivia:

The crash sequence took nine days to film. As the set was mounted on a huge gimbel, most of the cast were taking motion sickness pills as they spent a large amount of time being tossed about.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After the plane tail is gone, there are reflections of a studio light in a boy's glasses who sits in the last row. The sky is overcast so it couldn't be sunlight.

Quotes:

Nando: Between these mountains somewhere there's a green valley. See those mountains over there? There's no snow on them.
Roberto Canessa: Those mountains must be fifty miles away. You think you can walk fifty miles?
Nando: If we have to, we will.
Roberto Canessa: I can't.
Nando: Yes you can.
Roberto Canessa: I can't. I'm not as strong as you.
Nando: Do you know what it is that we've lived this long the way we have? Seventy days? It's impossible. It's impossible and we did it. I'm proud to be a man on a day like this. Alive. That I lived to see it, and see it in such a place. Take it in. I love you, man. It's beautiful. It's God. And it'll carry us over every stone, I swear.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Father Ted: The Mainland (#3.4)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Ave Maria

Excellent Film!!!

Alive is a great movie experience. It is based on a true event in 1972 and on the narrative book by Piers Paul Read. It's about a Uraguayan college rugby team whose chartered airplane crashed deep in the icy Andes Mountains while on its way to a game in Santiago, Chile. Reeling with disbelief and shock and bleeding from dozens of wounds, the passengers who lived through the crash are faced with the brutal elements, starvation and the horror that they may never be found alive. The cast is terrific: Ethan Hawke as Nando, the levelheaded, determined leader; Vincent Spano as desperate Antonio, whose optimism slowly crumbles under the weight of hopelessness; Josh Hamilton as medical student Roberto, who tirelessly treats gangrenous wounds knowing his ministrations are useless; and especially Bruce Ramsay as Carlitos, whose unwavering faith in God and his sense of dark humor ("If you eat me, will you promise to clean your plates?") acts as the glue that holds this wet, shivering clump of survivors together. You indeed can feel the cold and the misery as you watch these poor people wade through waist deep snow, endure a nightmarish avalanche, spend days at a time soaked to their skins in minus forty degree winds, and face the ultimate decision that will make or break them physically, emotionally and spiritually: whether or not they can bring themselves to eat the bodies of friends and relatives who did not survive the crash. Everything in this movie, from James Newton Howard's touching music score to the unbeatable cinematography showing the majesty and severity of the Andes, is beautiful and flawless. This movie is one I'd recommend to anyone who wants an exciting, touching, unforgettable movie to chew on for years to come.