Lifeboat (1944)
Taking place aboard a boat full of survivors from a torpedoed ship during WWII, this Alfred Hitchcock showpiece is a brilliant meditation on survival, morality, and nationality. What makes the film truly distinctive is that it sustains a single setting-a lifeboat on the open sea-while remaining gripping and action-filled throughout. Tallulah Bankhead shines with some of the best lines in any movie, and William Bendix, Hume Cronyn, and Walter Sleazak (as the Nazi submarine officer scooped out of the sea) provide scintillating performances.

The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)
From the opening moments, when James Stewart fails in his attempt to keep the small plane in flight to the denouement of will and human ingenuity that eventually saves the stranded survivors, the intensity of Flight of the Phoenix never lets up. The gritty realism of this long march through the sand will leave you feeling parched. In fact, the Sahara is as much a character in this film as the great ensemble cast.

The Old Man and The Sea (1958)
Spencer Tracy stars in a tale about one man's battle with personal demons and nature. While Ernest Hemingway's novel didn't translate into a brilliant film, this one is worth watching for Tracy's mesmerizing performance.

The River Wild (1994)
It's very likely that your next whitewater rafting trip won't be as exciting as the one portrayed in The River Wild , but then again, you probably don't want to be kidnapped by gun-toting killers and forced to navigate a section of the river called "The Gauntlet." There's some silly dialogue, and the plot is a tad formulaic, but camera work that captures the intensity of fierce whitewater, along with some fine acting by Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, distinguishes this movie from others of its kind.

Scott of the Antarctic (1949)
This surprisingly little-heard-of movie portrays Robert Falcon Scott's fateful 1912 expedition to the South Pole. Music by Vaughn Williams and the haunting scenes re-created using photographs taken by Herbert George Ponting, a member of the expedition, make this movie memorable. Bravery and endurance are the main themes as the doomed men struggle against the ice and cold. The popularity of Ernest Shackleton's expedition may bring more viewers to this fine film.

Back to Introduction: Top Ten Outdoor Movies

Return to Top

RELATED GORP LINKS
GORP Books and Maps
GORP Destination Guide
GORP Activity Guide