The Other Side Of The Mountain (1975)
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN (1975) is the inspirational true story of Olympic hopeful Jill Kinmont (Marilyn Hassett, The Bell Jar). Kinmont, an up-and-coming world-class skier, faces her greatest challenge when she is left paralyzed from the neck down after a tragic accident during a pre-Olympic competition in the 1950s. Beau Bridges (The Landlord) and Dabney Coleman (9 to 5) co-star in this critically acclaimed story of human courage and a champion determined to find the other side of the mountain. Directed by Larry Peerce (The Incident) with a screenplay by David Seltzer (The Omen), based on the book A Long Way Up by E.G. Valens.
After the massive success of Love Story, studios were looking for a capable tearjerker to get audiences to flock to the theaters once more. When you look at the real-life story of Olympian Jill Kinmont, you can tell from the outside that it is one primed to make audiences reach for the tissue box. While that story alone may have offered up enough drama to keep general audiences riveted, the romantic tension that was injected into the film in the form of Dick Buek (Beau Bridges) was a pretty smart backup plan. It is hard to criticize this particular aspect of the narrative given the involvement of the real-life Kinmont, but it is handled in a way that gives the narrative a more “Hollywood” feel that keeps it from being an out-and-out classic. The struggle for Jill’s rehabilitation really plays on your emotions, but it is the life that she is expected to lead once she accepts her circumstances that you most want to see.
What makes even the most sentimental moments work dramatically is the strong performance from all of the key players. Marilyn Hassett is truly outstanding in the lead role and makes even more of Jill than is on the page. Even if you find yourself unsure about the romance between the two leads from a dramatic standpoint, you are likely to find yourself drawn in by the chemistry Hassett has with Bridges. While it is never a smart idea to underestimate a Bridges brother, even fans of the performer will admit he is showcasing some of his best work from the period of time. The direction from Larry Peerce is steady but not wildly inspired, and the cinematography of David M. Walsh goes for a more soft, understated look. The approach of this narrative is expected, but it works well if you want a decent, weepy time. It was entertaining enough to earn Universal enough to survive a particularly dire financial time.
The Other Side Of The Mountain: Part II (1978)
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN: PART II (1978) continues to tell the soul-stirring true story of an Olympic contender who will not stop reaching for the stars even after she is handicapped in a skiing accident. The courageous Jill Kinmont (Marilyn Hassett, Shadow of the Hawk) returns to her childhood home where she fights off the memories of her ill-fated past and is reintroduced to the power of love by a sensitive trucker (Timothy Bottoms, The Paper Chase). Their unusual courtship and marriage is a true love story for everyone who believes in happy endings. Directed by Larry Peerce (Goodbye, Columbus) and written by Douglas Day Stewart (An Officer and a Gentleman).
Even those who gave the first film a pass with its unrepentant melancholy sensibility by contextualizing it as an avenue towards letting go of some personal pent-up emotions will find The Other Side of the Mountain: Part II difficult to withstand. Universal cannot be faulted; the first film was a massive success and money-hungry Hollywood will always try to exploit their previous successes. While the film could have served to elevate a story that relied too much on pity the first time around, it doubles down by focusing on the internal struggle for Jill to allow love into her life. Perhaps exploring the journey of a handicapped person in the spirit of liberation rather than being burdened would have been an interesting, thoughtful approach? Some adjustment to a new situation in life is fine, but at some point it just becomes insulting to the handicapped community.
While Marilyn Hassett returns in the lead role, she is given even less to work with this time around. Her performance is fine, but you are not as invested in her journey as much. Perhaps more egregious than this is the introduction of Timothy Bottoms as the romantic interest. The role of John Boothe is not one that would have leapt off the screen, but as personified by Bottoms the character is downright catatonic in most of his scenes. When you have to follow Beau Bridges from the first film, you cannot cheap out and go for someone so flat. The chemistry is just not there in the slightest. The entire movie just feels superfluous; you cannot be convinced that the creative team was genuinely desperate to tell more of this story before they saw the box office receipts. If an editor could have shaved off a significant chunk of time off the film, it may have stood a fighting chance at being worth a watch, but all but the most ardent of fans will probably be better off not spending time with this.
Video Quality
The Other Side of The Mountain Part I & II make their Blu-Ray debut courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that appears to be derived from a decent older master. Instances of print damage such as small nicks and scratches occasionally pop up, but overall clarity is admirable. The presentation is enjoyable throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being top notch. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming a bit thick. The picture does not present with as much depth as the strongest transfers, and colors are a bit understated compared to what is possible. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. This presentation is a really nice effort that should please fans.
Audio Quality
This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that features all of the sounds of the films quite well. These films utilize music well, including an emotionally effective score from Charles Fox in the first one. This and all of the other music is presented with great clarity and a pleasing fidelity as it comes through the room. The dialogue holds up wonderfully, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely, especially in all of the various nature sounds. The track avoids most instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. This is a track that represents these features in a solid manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Interview with Director Larry Peerce: A new 20-minute interview in which Peerce discusses Jill’s attitude that made her such an inspiring figure, the process of turning the book into a film, the performers in the film, memories from shooting on location, the stunt coordination of the picture, the success of the film, developing a sequel to the original feature and more.
- Trailers: There is a trailer provided for The Other Side of The Mountain (1:10) and The Other Side of The Mountain: Part II (2:19). There are also trailers provided for Hard To Hold and The Landlord.
Final Thoughts
The Other Side of The Mountain is a pretty solid drama when you are looking for something purely to cry your eyes out to. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable enough to stir something deep in your emotions. The second part of this story feels manufactured explicitly for the money as the romance and narrative overall does not keep you invested. Kino Classics has delivered a pretty strong Blu-Ray featuring both movies with a decent A/V presentation and an entertaining interview with the director. The option to get this entire story in one reasonably priced package should appeal to fans.
The Other Side of The Mountain Part I & II is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
