 We've all heard movies described as based on a true story, but what does that actually mean? Some movies stick close to the source material, but even the most faithful adaptations make changes to the story. And of course, there are some movies that alter history so much that any similarities to the actual events seem to be accidental. 127 Hours was released on November 5th, 2010, and was nominated for six Oscars. The movie also received overwhelmingly positive reviews and currently sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Now 127 Hours is one of those movies that is actually very faithful to the story it's based on, but let's move on. What the movie got right? Before the accident, this is understandably the shortest part of the movie since the story doesn't really begin until Aaron gets trapped. The film begins with Aaron planning a trip to Utah for the weekend. Because he's a loner, Aaron doesn't tell anybody about where he's heading. As we all know, this is a decision that will come back to haunt him. While exploring the mountains, Aaron spots a couple of girls who seem to be lost. He then approaches them and helps them find what they're looking for. The accident. Aaron was descending into a slot canyon when a suspended boulder was dislodged. The rock fell and landed on his arm, crushing his right hand. He was pinned against the canyon wall. At first, he's stunned by the situation he's suddenly in, but Aaron's amusement is short-lived as he quickly realizes the seriousness of his predicament. He begins angrily cursing as he tries to force the boulder to budge. After screaming for a while, he hurriedly drinks his water, but even at this moment, Aaron is able to think logically and realizes that the water is the only thing he has that will keep him alive. Because of this, he decides to drink it very sparingly. When he regains his composure, Aaron takes a quick inventory of everything he has in his possession. Unfortunately, he left his phone in the car and there was no reception at the place of the incident. His next step of action is to try to chip away at the rock with a knife. He does this for about two days, but slowly realizes the futility of his efforts. His hand had actually been supporting the boulder, so the more he chips away, the more the rock settles. On the third day, Aaron devises a plan to try to pull the boulder off of his arm. He cleverly rigs a system of pulleys with climbing clips and his ropes. Unfortunately, this plan fails because the climbing rope stretches too much, preventing him from obtaining enough tension to move the rock. In between attempts to free himself, Aaron also uses his video camera to document his ordeal. Aside from the fact that he was stuck, Aaron also had to deal with the extreme temperatures. At night, it would get very cold and during the day, because of his location, he would only get a very short amount of sunlight. Eventually, Aaron had to face the possibility that the only way out would be to cut off his trapped hand. He devises a tourniquet and makes some superficial cuts, but he realizes the blade he has is too dull to cut through his flesh. The longer Aaron is trapped, the more we see him rubbing his heart. His blood had thickened a lot because the boulder prevented it from fully circulating. Aaron was actually on the verge of a heart attack. It was on the fourth day that he finally accepted that he wasn't going to be found and he realizes that the only way to get out would be to cut off his right hand. He began by stabbing his arm with a knife. Unfortunately, to cut off his hand, Aaron would have to cut through bone and his dull blade would not be able to do this. Having run out of water, the next day he had to drink his own urine which he had saved in his camelback hydration pack. Certain that he will die there, Aaron records a final message for his family with his video camera. He also etches his name, birth date and what he thought would be the date of his death followed by an RIP on the side of the mountain, but in the morning he has a vision of himself with a young boy. He took this to be a vision of him and his future son. This gave Aaron the determination to finally free himself. Although he still couldn't cut through his bone, he worked around this by forcing the arm against the boulder. This broke his bones and allowed him to cut through the tissue. After enduring the grueling experience of cutting his own arm off, Aaron is finally free. Once the initial shock wears off, Aaron wraps his arm in a plastic bag and uses his backpack to cover his arm. He snaps a picture of where he was trapped and goes on his way. After the accident, after making it out of the canyon, Aaron begins his trek back to his car. On his way back, he spots a Dutch couple with their son. Aaron calls out to them and explains his situation. They give Aaron water and walk with them, but Aaron asks the wife and son to run ahead as the husband stays with him. When the Dutchman suggests that they rest, Aaron declines and states that he has to keep going. He only rests when the sand in his eyes becomes too annoying and he sits on the ground. At this point, a rescue helicopter arrives and Aaron is rescued. Afterward, Aaron makes a full recovery and meets his wife three years later. Eventually, his premonition about his son comes true as they have a kid in 2010. What the movie got wrong, as I mentioned before, 127 hours was very faithful to Rolston's story, but even so, there are a few discrepancies. It is true that Aaron did run into a couple of lost girls before his accident, but Boyle decides to enliven their encounter a bit. In the movie, Aaron and the girls have themselves a mini adventure. The three of them go hiking and take a dip in a beautiful blue waterhole located in the canyon. They have a great time and both of the girls seem to be interested in Aaron. When they're about to go their separate ways, they even invite Aaron to a party, but their real encounter was not nearly as exciting and basically involved Aaron showing the girls their destination on a map. The blue lagoon they take a dip in is not even located in the Blue John Canyon. The accident. Once Aaron is stuck in the canyon, the movie is tasked with the chore of keeping things exciting for the viewer even though the protagonist and the only person present can't even move. Because of this, Boyle tries to focus on the conflict and emotions going on in Aaron's head. As mentioned before, Aaron's encounter with the girls was not nearly as captivating as what 127 hours depicts, but the movie decides to come back to the fabricated adventure Aaron and the girls shared. At one point in the movie, Aaron has a very detailed hallucination about the party the girls invited him to. Later on, when he's feeling particularly lonely, Aaron views the tape they made in the lagoon, but since he didn't actually go for a dip in the lagoon with the girls, he certainly didn't have any footage of it to watch and he wouldn't have had such a vivid hallucination about a party he didn't even know about. One of the most entertaining scenes in the movie happens as Aaron is becoming more unhinged. He hallucinates that he is on a game show documenting his situation. He plays the host, guest, and callers. Unfortunately, as Boyle himself admitted, this was completely fabricated. Then there's the ex-girlfriend that the movie frames as the one that got away. Throughout his ordeal, Aaron keeps flashing back to various stages of their relationship, realizing what a mistake he had made. At one point, Aaron actually imagines that he not only escapes but is reunited with his ex-girlfriend. The fact is that Aaron said he didn't actually think about her while he was trapped in the canyon. After the accident, although it's not made explicitly clear, the movie seems to suggest that the rescue helicopter spotted Ralston by chance. In reality, Aaron's coworker became worried when Aaron didn't show up for work and notify the authorities. Aaron's mom found out that her son was missing when his boss called her. One of Aaron's friends helped her hack into Aaron's email account to look for clues regarding his whereabouts. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful and it was because Aaron had used the credit card to buy groceries in Utah that the authorities began searching for him there. The helicopter pilot eventually saw the Dutch woman and her son who had gone ahead while the husband stayed back with Aaron. When Aaron was finally rescued, he was within a mile of his truck. The verdict When the person the movie is based on describes it as so factually accurate, it's as close to a documentary as you can get and still be a drama. It's safe to say that the director has done a great job. And Danny Boyle certainly did a great job not only telling Aaron's story but immersing the viewer in the canyon with Aaron. Everything from his attention to detail to the way it shot helps make 127 hours a great film. But as I mentioned before, there are some fabricated moments in the movie. And as great as the movie is, it almost feels like Boyle was too worried about losing the interest of his audience. In fact, the adventure that Aaron has with the girls in the movie almost seems apologetic. It's as if Boyle admits that not much will happen in the movie, so he threw in a bit to keep audiences excited. Aaron's flashbacks to his ex-girlfriend seem like an attempt to add a bit of romantic element that audiences love. In the end, those alterations do very little to alter the story and they do actually make the movie more entertaining. If you haven't seen it yet, don't let these very small details discourage you from checking it out. 127 hours is a compelling and moving film. It might be one person's tale of survival, but thanks to the powerful direction of Danny Boyle and the Oscar worthy performance of James Franco, it feels like we're going through this ordeal alongside Aaron. When he's finally found by other climbers, a rush of relief in euphoria washes over the viewer as if we are being rescued too. Thank you guys so much for watching our first video. If you made it through here, it means that you like our content. Be sure to leave a like and subscribe as this will help our channel grow. Which movie based on a true story would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments. Until next time.