The Edge poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Elle Macpherson, Harold Perrineau Jr., L.Q. Jones ... see more see more... , Kathleen Wilhoite , David Lindstedt , Mark Kiely , Eli Gabay , Larry Musser , Brian Arnold , Kelsa Kinsly , Bob Boyd , Gordon Tootoosis , Brian Steele , Bart the Bear

Billionaire Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins) accompanies his much-younger wife Mickey (Elle Macpherson) and a fashion photography team headed by Bob Green (Alec Baldwin) to a remote lodge in Alaska. Ch... read more read more...arles is a quiet, introspective man, fond of accumulating trivia and other facts in his encyclopedic mind; he is also troubled with the idea that Bob and Mickey may be lovers. Even though he suspects the younger man plans to kill him, Charles goes with Bob and his assistant Stephen (Harold Perrineau) on an airplane trip to find a photogenic friend (Gordon Tootoosis) of the lodge owner (L.Q. Jones), but the plane crashes in a lake, killing the pilot. The crash is miles from their planned path, so they can't expect to be spotted by an aerial search; there's only one chance: they have to walk to a more likely spot.Though Robert and Stephan are more physically fit, Charles' calm wit and ingenuity proves the key to their survival, especially after a ferocious bear brutally kills Stephen. Robert and Charles' odyssey becomes more urgent when they discover that the bear is now stalking them. ~ Bill Warren, Rovi

Flixster Users

67% liked it

41,515 ratings

Critics

60% liked it

47 critics

R, 1 hr. 57 min.

Directed by: Lee Tamahori

Release Date: September 26, 1997

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 25, 1999

Get It:

Stats: 1,479 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

The Edge The Edge
Upload a Photo | View All The Edge Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (1,479)

  • moonrivers
    October 1, 2011
    moonrivers
    Mamet penned adventure tale of survival as city boys get lost in the great outdoors ... and are hunted by a man-eating bear. Good performances throughout and a funny script keep things at a brisk pace. And did I mention the bear?
  • kenstachnik
    December 1, 2010
    kenstachnik
    Solid little film from the pen of David Mamet. Hopkins and Baldwin play off each other well.
  • Chiefilms
    March 9, 2010
    Chiefilms
    The only reason I remembered this movie was because "it's that one where the black guy gets eaten by a bear." One black guy in the entire film, eaten by a bear. He barely gets any screen time at all, you see him. they fly off, he gets eaten. Boom. Scariest bear in the history... read more of film, racist too.
  • aliceinpunderland
    November 22, 2009
    aliceinpunderland
    I actually rather like this Mamet-scribed film, probably because he didn't direct it. There's very little of his stilted repetition, and by virtue of the story's unique location, I can't really argue whether the must-happens are inorganic or not. They seem to build suspense and... read more camaraderie, so I dig it.

    Anthony Hopkins is so good as "Nice Old Man" and "Crazy Person," and it's nice to see both personas culminated here. "I'm going to kill that motherfucker!"
  • imrealgod
    November 9, 2009
    imrealgod
    Won't keep you on "The Edge" of your seat, but ain't absolutely disappointing either.
  • stormyweather980
    October 8, 2009
    stormyweather980
    Great movie where two famous actors are trapped in the woods and have to face their own demons, along with what's in the wilderness, mainly...a bear. I'm always a sucker for films revolving around nature and the outdoors.
  • bbcfloridabound
    March 12, 2009
    bbcfloridabound
    This movie came off a list from the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. Anthony Hopkins at his Best. Alec Baldwin played a good part also. If I ever saw a bear this dam big I am not sure running would have been the answer, I think I could have learned to fly real fast. An... read moreyway it shows Alaska Wilderness at its best and its fully of suspense and drama. If you have ever been in a survival situation you will love this movie. Those living outside the USA, this is one American film I will recommend to you and I seldom Recommend any American Films after 1990, most are junk that?s why I enjoy the Foreign Films and early B&W American Films, but that?s another story. I like the part that Anthony Hopkins played, a wealthy man who knew a lot and could remember just about anything from a book. Don't let the fact this film was made in 1997 keep you from watching it. Its one I am sure you will add to your collection, nothing less then 5 stars. Thank You.
  • 76Majikat
    September 23, 2008
    76Majikat
    The Edge is a much better film than I'd anticipated, a test of strengh of mental and physical agility. I've never been much of a fan of Alec Baldwin, but the role didn't demand anything exceptional in the way of acting capabilities. Hopkins (as usual) plays interlectual game pl... read moreayer very well.

    Some great scenic shots and some great camera work with the bear.

    This is a really enjoyable watch, without being too overcomplicated.
  • thmtsang
    August 10, 2007
    thmtsang
    Great cast. Two men end up in the winderness facing their own demons and a bear!
  • dhetteix
    March 25, 2007
    dhetteix
    Two guys kill a bear, go rather crazy in the woods, and almost kill each other over some adultery.

    Over the top survival epic that really dramatizes the idea of "survival" into something much more digestible for the action-movie lover.

    Sure, its a grizzled I-havn't-shaved-in-ma... read moreny-days lets-make-a-compass-out-of-grass survival movie, but it is also really just an action movie about a really big bear chasing some guys in the woods... cleverly mingled with some boy-scout manual tidbits that make it seem like these guys are not just camping out in the local zoo's Kodiak Bear enclosure.

View All The Edge Reviews

Critic Reviews

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

...The Edge's fusion of Mametspeak with a true life adventure remains brawny entertainment, even it it is difficult to take as seriously as the filmmakers intend. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It's subtly funny in the way it toys with the cliches of the genre. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

...The Edge is not only half-baked, warmed-over Hemingway. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

...even less intelligent than your average action flick. Full Review

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

The Edge succeeds ably in blending his famously acerbic dialogue with nerve-racking adventure scenes. Full Review

Jeff Millar
January 1, 2000
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

But it's too predictable by half, and Mamet's profundities have more volume than mass.

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

I laughed frequently, but the problem is that I'm not sure the director intended there to be as much humor in his film as I uncovered. Full Review

Gary Kamiya
January 1, 2000
Gary Kamiya, Salon.com

...a solid man-against-nature tale... Full Review

Susan Stark
January 1, 2000
Susan Stark, Detroit News

Anthony Hopkins' first action movie casts him as a gentle, brainy tycoon stuck in the Alaskan wilderness with only voracious bears and, just as threatening, Alec Baldwin for company. Full Review

Peter Canavese
May 31, 2010
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

Mamet has always been concerned with primal masculinity...The test of these men is twofold: can they survive the wilderness, and can they survive each other? [Blu-ray] Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Contract
    The Contract (100%)
  • The Hunted
    The Hunted (100%)
  • Daylight
    Daylight (17%)
  • Grizzly Man
    Grizzly Man (23%)

More Movies like The Edge

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Charles Morse: Never feel sorry for a man who owns a plane.
    • the bear: *roar*
    • Charles Morse: So what do you value me for, Bob?
    • Robert Green: I like your style, your wife's pretty cute too.
    • Charles Morse: So how are you planning to kill me?
    • Charles Morse: Why is the rabbit unafraid? Because he's smarter than the panther.
    • Charles Morse: We're all put to the test... but it never comes in the form or at the point we would prefer, does it?
    • Charles Morse: Did you know that you can make fire from ice?
Submit a Fact | View All

The Edge : Watch Free on TV

The Edge Trivia

  • in what movie did captain barbosa say you be off the edge of the map mate here there be monsters  Answer »
  • which movie documents the real life relationship between mother and daughter, debbie reynolds and carrie fisher? it stars meryl streep if you need a clue!  Answer »
  • What was Rose's excuse for nearly falling over the edge of the ship in Titanic that got Jack of the hook?  Answer »
  • in star wars how did yoda,darth and the sith die???  Answer »
More The Edge Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All The Edge Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add The Edge to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?