Testing Chris to the absolute limit

I picked this movie for two reasons.

One was Martin Campbell, the director. I have a lot of respect for him and I was excited at the prospect of working with him.

The role as Peter was a great one to play. I was a big fan of the book, Into Thin Air. It always stuck with me. I couldn't get over that conversation between the guy up the mountain, talking to his pregnant wife back in Australia. He's about to die and they know they can't save him and they are talking about what they are going to name their unborn child. You can hear it in their voices. It was just unbelievable.

I think this script had elements of that in the situation with Peter and his sister, Annie [Robin Tunney], especially in the scene in the tent, where he's about an hour away from saving her. She tells him to go back and to let her die.

Here's a guy who's been carrying a tremendous amount of guilt, like maybe he didn't do everything he could have to save his father three years before in a mountain climbing accident. Now his sister is telling him to go back, but nothing is going to stop him from trying to save her. He doesn't care if he kills himself doing it.

It was an exciting role to play. Peter is at a place where he's struggling with his inner demons. He blames himself for his father's death. He's really hurting inside and his sister won't forgive him - she won't even talk to him.

They meet by chance at base camp where she's preparing a climb and he's hoping time will have healed some wounds. It's evident, though, when he finally does see her, that it's not the case. Peter is trying to get back his life and suddenly he's thrown into a do-or-die situation.