To fight, to strive, simply to survive – like instinct, we’re drawn to survival stories. Their visceral mix of thrills and introspection enthrall us, both on the page and at the movies. Filmgoers have their choice of captivating survival tales this month. Robert Redford, in a Golden Globe-nominated performance, holds the screen with nearly no dialogue as a boater struggling in the Indian Ocean in “All Is Lost” (pictured). Also earning critical raves and a Golden Globe nomination is Sandra Bullock as an astronaut trying to return to Earth after the destruction of a space satellite in “Gravity.” The late Paul Walker, best known for the “Fast and Furious” film series, turns in a compelling performance in “Hours” (in limited release and available on demand) as a new dad keeping his prematurely born daughter alive during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Writing for RogerEbert.com, reviewer Susan Wloszczyna says, “Walker manages to be both tender and tough, and to watch him stretch himself so well is a pleasure.”
Here, I round up some of my favorite survival tales, including “The Grey” (2011), a change of pace for director Joe Carnahan (“Smokin’ Aces,” “The A-Team”). Carnahan co-wrote this adaptation of Ian MacKenzie Jeffers’ short story Ghost Walker, about oil workers facing the Alaskan cold and a pack of wolves after a plane crash. Liam Neeson anchors the ensemble cast, which ventures into “some profound existential territory” amid brutal conditions and lyrical storytelling a la Jack London and Ernest Hemingway, the New York Times said. It moved me to tears. I love the verse Neeson’s character, Ottway, recites to summon strength: “Once more into the fray. Into the last good fight I’ll ever know. Live and die on this day. Live and die on this day.”