''The Other Side of the Mountain'' is a 1975 American

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

based on the true story of

ski racing Ski racing may refer to: ;Winter Olympic sports: * Alpine skiing * Part of the biathlon ** Military patrol, the biathlon's predecessor sport * Cross-country skiing (sport) * Some of the freestyle skiing events, such as: ** Mogul skiing, where s ...

champion

Jill Kinmont Jill Kinmont Boothe (February 16, 1936 – February 9, 2012) was a notable American alpine ski racer. Her life story was turned into two major Hollywood movies ''The Other Side of the Mountain'' and its sequel ''The Other Side of the Mountain Part ...

. The UK title of the film was ''A Window to the Sky''. In early 1955, Kinmont was the national champion in

slalom To slalom is to zigzag between obstacles. It may refer to: Sports ;Alpine skiing and/or snowboarding * Slalom skiing, an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline * Giant slalom, an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline * Super-G ...

, and was a top U.S. prospect for a medal in the

1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( lld, Anpezo 1956 or ), was a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from ...

, a year away. She was paralyzed in a near-fatal

downhill Downhill may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Downhill'' (1927 film), a British film by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Downhill'' (2014 film), a British comedy directed by James Rouse * ''Downhill'' (2016 film), a Chilean thriller directed by Patrici ...

accident at the ''Snow Cup'' in Alta,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, weeks before her 19th birthday, leaving her

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or t ...

. Jill Kinmont Boothe died in Carson City, Nevada, on Feb. 9, 2012. The film was directed by

Larry Peerce Lawrence "Larry" Peerce (born April 19, 1930) is an American film and TV director whose work includes the theatrical feature ''Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), the early rock and roll concert film '' The Big T.N.T. Show'' (1966), ''One Potato, Two Pot ...

, written by

David Seltzer David Seltzer (born February 12, 1940) is an American screenwriter, producer and director, perhaps best known for writing the screenplays for ''The Omen'' (1976) and '' Bird on a Wire'' (1990). As writer-director, Seltzer's credits include the ...

(based on the 1966 biography ''A Long Way Up'' by E. G. Valens), and stars

Marilyn Hassett Marilyn Hassett (born December 17, 1947) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Jill Kinmont in the romance drama film ''The Other Side of the Mountain'' (1975) for which she received Golden Globe Awards and its sequel ...

and

Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was a ...

. It features the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-nominated theme song "Richard's Window" (composed by Charles Fox, lyrics by

Norman Gimbel Norman Gimbel (November 16, 1927 – December 19, 2018) was an American lyricist of popular songs, television and movie themes. He wrote the lyrics for songs including "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Ready to Take a Chance Again" (both with ...

), sung by

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

. A sequel, ''

The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2 ''The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2'' is a 1978 film directed by Larry Peerce. It stars Marilyn Hassett and Timothy Bottoms. It is a sequel to ''The Other Side of the Mountain''. Plot Jill Kinmont, now recovered, goes to Southern California, ...

'', was made in 1978.

Cast

- Dick "Mad Dog" Buek * Belinda J. Montgomery - Audra Jo Nicholson *

Nan Martin Nan Martin (July 15, 1927 – March 4, 2010) was an American actress who starred in movies and on television. Life and career Early life Born in Decatur, Illinois, and raised in Santa Monica, California, she attended Santa Monica High School. ...

- June Kinmont *Bill Vint -

Buddy Werner Wallace Jerold "Buddy" Werner (February 26, 1936 – April 12, 1964) was an American alpine ski racer in the 1950s and early 1960s. Early years Born and raised in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Werner was the middle child of Ed "Pop" and Hazel M ...

Dabney Coleman Dabney Wharton Coleman (born January 3, 1932) is an American actor. Coleman's best known films include '' 9 to 5'' (1980), '' On Golden Pond'' (1981), ''Tootsie'' (1982), ''WarGames'' (1983), '' Cloak & Dagger'' (1984), ''The Beverly Hillbillies ...

Dave McCoy David McCoy (August 24, 1915 – February 8, 2020) was an American skier and businessman who founded the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in 1942. Early life McCoy was born in El Segundo, California, in August 1915. He spent the first six years of his l ...

* William Bryant - Bill Kinmont *

Hampton Fancher Hampton Lansden Fancher (born July 18, 1938) is an American actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker, best known for co-writing the 1982 neo-noir science fiction film ''Blade Runner'' and its 2017 sequel ''Blade Runner 2049,'' based on the novel ''Do ...

- Lee Zadroga *

William Roerick William George Roerich (December 17, 1912 – November 30, 1995) was an American actor. He is particularly associated with the stage, but also played in many films and TV productions. He was also a stage manager and writer. His name is sometime ...

- Dr. Pittman *

Dori Brenner Dori Brenner (born Dori Levine; December 16, 1946 - September 16, 2000) was an American actress. She was born in Manhattan, and went to Sarah Lawrence College and the Yale School of Drama. Her oldest sister was award-winning author Ellen Levine. He ...

- Cookie *

Walter Brooke Walter Brooke (born Gustav William Tweer Jr., October 23, 1914 – August 20, 1986) was an American actor. Career Brooke's film career stretched from ''You're in the Army Now'' (1941 to '' Jagged Edge'' (1985). One of his best-remembered roles w ...

- Dean *Jocelyn Jones - Linda Meyers *Greg Mabrey - Bob Kinmont *

Tony Becker Tony Becker (born September 14, 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor best known for his role as Private Daniel 'Danny' Purcell on the 1987-1990 CBS Vietnam War series ''Tour of Duty''. Career Becker's first television role was ...

- Jerry Kinmont as a boy *

Griffin Dunne Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in '' An Amer ...

- Herbie Johnson

Release

''The Other Side of the Mountain'' was one of the most successful box office releases for Universal Pictures in years and was said to have helped the company survive a difficult period.

Reception

The film earned North American theatrical rentals of $8.2 million.

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' said: "The life came first, but the movie seems to have less interest in Miss Kinmont than in the devices of romantic fiction that reduce particularity of feeling to a sure-fire formula designed to elicit sentimental purposes. If you go to see 'The Other Side of the Mountain,' load up your handkerchiefs and leave your wits at home."

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his d ...

of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "If a real person weren't involved, I'd feel more at ease saying this film is excessive in its grab for sympathy and admiration ... Bridges' natural charm brightens not only Kinmont's spirit but also the spirit of a movie that dangerously leans toward the maudlin." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "Film is a standout in every department, perfect casting, fine acting, sensitive photography and general overall production all combining to give unusual strength to subject matter." Kevin Thomas of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' called it "a surefire formula tearjerker" whose most serious flaw was "the film's emphasis on the ordeal of Miss Kinmont's rehabilitation, which after all is a familiar enough but oh so heart-tugging process, at the expense of detailing her very struggle to do something useful with her life once she has learned to accept she will never again walk." Gary Arnold of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' wrote that the film "stands a good chance of becoming the next legitimate sleeper. In certain respects it's a superficial, banal piece of filmmaking, but the story it tries to tell has stirring and inspirational qualities, which cannot be found in any other American films at the moment."Arnold, Gary (May 23, 1975). "A Moving 'Mountain'". ''

''. C1.

Tom Milne Tom Milne (2 April 1926 – 14 December 2005) was a British film critic. See also After war service, he studied English and French at Aberdeen University and later at the Sorbonne. Interested in the theatre too, he wrote for the magazine ' ...

of ''

The Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...

'' wrote, "Though the facts may be facts, everything else is crocodile tears and spurious uplift, from the coy prologue in which the heroine tells her story to a winsome pack of children asking why she never got married, to the bitter-sweet ending (complete with drooling pop song) which would have given even a Victorian chambermaid qualms with its breathless heaping of darkest hours before the dawn."

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * http://skiinghistory.org/lives/jill-kinmont-boothe {{DEFAULTSORT:Other Side Mountain 1975 1975 films 1970s biographical drama films American biographical drama films American skiing films Biographical films about sportspeople Cultural depictions of American women Cultural depictions of skiers Filmways films Films about paraplegics or quadriplegics Films based on biographies Films directed by Larry Peerce Films produced by Edward S. Feldman Films scored by Charles Fox Films set in the 1950s Universal Pictures films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films Films about disability