Synopsis

After a plane crash strands wealthy businessman Charles Morse, photographer Robert Green, and assistant Stephen in the Alaskan wilderness, the three men must find a way back to civilization with few supplies and no reliable sense of direction. Their struggle is complicated by a relentless Kodiak bear and the growing distrust between Charles and Robert, whose personal rivalry becomes as dangerous as the landscape.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay was written by David Mamet and was originally titled "Bookworm," reflecting Charles Morse's intelligence and extensive reading. The title was changed to "The Edge" before release.

• Although the story is set in Alaska, most of the film was shot in Alberta, Canada, including locations around Banff National Park, Canmore, and Fortress Mountain Resort. Additional filming took place in British Columbia.

• Anthony Hopkins was dealing with a slipped disc during production and incorporated some of the resulting discomfort into his performance. He also developed hypothermia after falling into a river during filming and required hospital treatment.

• The bear was played by Bart the Bear, a trained Kodiak bear who had appeared in several films. "The Edge" was among his final screen roles before his death in 2000.

• The survival guide seen in the film, "Lost in the Wilds: A Manual of Wilderness Survival," was created as a prop rather than a published book. Its fictional author, D. Croyle, was named after a member of the production staff.

• The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver used in the crash sequence also appeared in "Six Days Seven Nights" (1998), where it was likewise depicted in a crash.