The Climb

1998 1h 34m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 9

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Baltimore, 1959. Danny's dad is the only man in the neighborhood who didn't fight in World War II. Danny, who's 12, gets teased and folks make nasty cracks about cowards. An old radio tower on a nearby hill is about to be torn down, and Danny decides to climb it to prove his courage. Help comes from an aging neighbor, Old Man Langer, a former construction foreman who's dying of cancer and wants Danny to help him commit suicide. Langer rigs pulleys and weights to help the lad make the climb. Meanwhile, an aggressive and angry neighbor (an army vet) regularly gets drunk and shoots off his rifle, and Danny's dad must confront him. It all comes to a head one stormy night.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

John Hurt
Chuck Langer
Gregory Smith
Danny Himes
David Strathairn
Earl Himes
Stephen McHattie
Jack McLaskin
Seth Smith
Andy Sweeney
Sarah Buxton
Ruth Langer
Marla Sokoloff
Leslie Himes
Matthew Ness
Wayne Barto

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bob Swaim
Writers: Vince McKewin
Languages: English
Countries: New Zealand, Canada, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: New Zealand, Canada, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marie-Sophie Dubus shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

John Hurt and Gregory Smith and David Strathairn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0118865 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bob Swaim directs. Marie-Sophie Dubus cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in New Zealand, Canada, France. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

128 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 3 countries: New Zealand, Canada, France.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Editor Marie-Sophie Dubus shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5John Hurt and Gregory Smith and David Strathairn carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0118865 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.