Customer Film Awards 2011: Nominations: A Question on 127 HOURS

127 Hours and the other nominations for the 2011 Holiday Extras Customers Film Awards have been announced. The 2011 Customers Film Awards are presented by Holiday Extras, “a travel company based in the UK.” SInce Hoilday Extras is a travel company, they only have one category for their annual awards: Most inspirational travel film. The full listing of 2011 Holiday Extras Customers Film Awards is below.

Most inspirational travel film:

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127 Hours
Around the World in 80 Days
Lost in Translation
Roman Holiday
Sex and the City 2
Shirley Valentine
The Beach
The Talented Mr Ripley
Thelma and Louise
Into the Wild

It may just be me, but I personally wouldn’t put 127 Hours on that list. Not only do you have to spend an excruciating hour watching a guy in unbearable pain cut off his own arm, but the idea of this being based on a true story just reinforces the conviction that its not a holiday you’d like to experience!

Aron Ralston (James Franco), the protagonist in the film, whose experience it is re-living begins his journey as a happy-go-lucky hiker who is living out his dream. After an encounter with two fellow hikers he sets out again having agreed to meet them the following day. This re-encounter was not going to happen.

He is canyoneering in Canyonlands National Park in Utah, which looks breathtaking in the film. Amidst the amazing concoction of colourful landscapes Aron experiences a life threatening accident. When his arm gets wedged between the rock face and a fallen boulder he is trapped for 127 Hours. He has to ration his food and water and eventually becomes delusional leading him to experience flashbacks and reflections on his life. Only when he sees a premonition of his unborn son does he gather the will to apply enough force to his forearm to break it and severs his arm with the dull knife.

Although the film was amazing in every respect, it didn’t leave me wanting to book a holiday to Canyonlands National Park – or any remotely adventurous holiday destination anytime soon. So if I did have to pick a film that inspired me to travel, I’d have to go with something like Around the World in 80 Days which is another of the options on HolidayExtras.com’s survey.

A Guest Post by Charlotte Kay