A coworker assigned us “homework” for this weekend, watch The Dawn Wall and find out about Tommy Caldwell. We did and it was awesome. Tommy’s story was a roller coaster, from his childhood to instant fame, an international hostage situation, huge professional success followed by a personal relationship breakdown, to finally conquering his obsession. This was way more than a climbing movie, it was a story of perseverance, obsession, heartache and an enduring reminder that all of life’s problems can be solved, but some more easily than others.
There are so many angles to the story of Tommy, along with Kevin Jorgeson, climbing a new route up El Capitan, but what really impressed me was the way the two climbers supported each other, despite setbacks, delays and the possibility of failure (or worse). Tommy realizes that conquering the Dawn Wall, his obsession for a decade, would be incomplete if his teammate didn’t make it with him, and Kevin, after already conceding that Tommy would go on alone, gets back to work and goes beyond what he had done before, and what he thought he was previously capable of. This is what sets this movie apart from another phenomenal film, Free Solo. Both Tommy and Alex are amazing climbers with compelling stories (in fact Alex Honnold was part of the support team for Tommy and Kevin), but Tommy wanted, or needed, to succeed as a team and not an individual.
The movie had some peaks and chasms emotionally, and since the movie concluded shortly after the successful summiting of the Dawn Wall, we had to follow their stories online to find out more. Kevin’s support and personality really stood out to us in the film, and seeing what he’s been up to since is inspiring. Both climbers have reminded us to show our children the power of practice, hard work and perseverance, and reminded ourselves to keep dreaming big, there is more for all of us out there if we are willing to go for it.
Feel Good Rating: 7.6
Inspiration to work out today: 10
Feel Good Movie Ratings 