Stuff That Works - Review of "The Walk" - a movie about Philippe Petit

My mind was blown in 1974 by an amazing man from France: Philippe Petit. He is the man who walked between the twin towers in New York - making a total of 8 passes back and forth and even sitting and laying down on his wire. His accomplishment appeared in every paper and magazine on the planet, or so it seemed to me. He left all of us slack-jawed in wonder. I recall reading several versions of the story in different publications.


Philippe became obsessed with walking between the towers when he read about them.
He and his friends went to incredible lengths to smuggle gear to the top of both towers, one of which was not yet completed.

Here we see Petit laying on his wire - a quarter mile in the air.

A couple of years ago, Julie and I watched a documentary about Petit.
It was called "Man on Wire". Here is the trailer.
We loved it.


Last night whilst looking for a movie to watch - my search netted me 
"The Walk" with Joseph Gordon-Levitt starring as Petit.


This movie is more than just a fact-based thriller. It is the story of a man who became obsessed with, and realized, an IMPOSSIBLE goal. A young French man saw a picture of the PROPOSED towers in a magazine in a dentist's office. In a flash, his destiny was revealed. He was going to walk between what were soon to become the two tallest man made structures in the world.

When one follows the progress of the story, the laser-beam focus of Petit seems to cross over that thin line between genius on a mission and mad-man.
I do not want to spoil the picture for those of you who know little to nothing of the event, but I will tell you that a team of people, both from Paris and NYC, are drawn into his wake, share his dream and go to insane efforts to help him realize it. I was totally caught up in the movie, somehow fearing that he might not make it - even though I knew the outcome.


If this message reaches any part of you - WATCH THE MOVIE.
You will love it. 

This sums it up wonderfully:


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