CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 10/23/09

Not That Deep or Awe-Inspiring

By Will Freeman

The Canyon

Steve Allrich

Newly eloped Nick and Lori (Eion Bailey and Yvonne Strahovski) decide to ride pack mules down into the Grand Canyon for their honeymoon. Things take a sharp turn for the worse, though, when their guide (Will Patton) is bitten by a rattlesnake, which also scatters all their supply mules, leaving them without food or water, miles from civilization, and surrounded by hungry wolves. Truth be told, The Canyon isn't the worst freshman outing for an indie screenwriter, by any means, but there are just too many stumbles. The dialogue is painfully stiff and expositional at points, the pacing drags, and the characters never quite seem to click as a couple. One particular scene with a cell phone that takes place 15 feet up a cliff wall isn't so much a stumble as a complete failure. That's the killer, really. Nick and Lori do so many foolish things in their attempts to survive, any sympathy for them gets worn away well before they—well, she—wises up and starts thinking. Allrich's script is still better than the usual ideas that get recycled again and again in this budget range, but it's just shy of being good.

The Canyon
Magnolia Pictures
Rated R; 97 min.

Will Freeman is a freelance entertainment journalist in Los Angeles. He has watched far more movies than most people, but not as many as some people.



The Canyon courtesy Magnolia Pictures

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