The Way Back

Directed by Peter Weir
Screenplay by Keith R. Clarke and Peter Weir
Starring Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell Saoirse Ronan
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If there’s one thing that unites director Peter Weir’s recent (and, with only four movies in the last eighteen years, sadly small) filmography it’s that each entry is, at its core, the story of a one man’s attempt to survive in the face of extreme circumstances.   Obviously that description can apply to any number of films, but Weir picks circumstances that are particularly extreme.  1993’s Fearless featured Jeff Bridges as the survivor of an airplane crash, 1998’s The Truman Show cast Jim Carrey as the unwitting star of a reality TV series with a cast and crew of hundreds and 2003’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World found Russell Crowe (in his last great screen performance) as a 19th century sea captain leading his frigate into battle against a bigger, faster opponent.

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