The Mountain Within Me

For ten years, Ed Jackson was living the dream as a professional rugby player. But at the peak of his career, the then 27-year-old’s life was changed following a horrific pool accident. Having suffered a severe spinal cord injury, he was declared permanently paralysed from the neck down. Following a gruelling physiotherapy regimen and with the help of mobility aids, he was able to regain some movement, though half of his body is numb to pain and temperature. In Polly Steele’s uplifting documentary The Mountain Within Me, Jackson sets out on a mission to climb the Himalayas.

Jackson’s message of positivity is resoundingly life-affirming, as he encourages others not to dwell on jealousy and resentment, but to embrace what they do have. He honestly reflects on his underlying issues with machismo, which ended up affecting his relationship with his wife, Lois, following his accident. But he doesn’t concede that his mission to achieve extraordinary feats may be considered in itself a palpable by-product of lad culture.

Moreover, his message to fellow disabled people – that they, too, may one day walk again – comes across as a tad ableist. One can’t help but wonder if the filmmakers ever acknowledged that disabled people don’t exist solely as objects of inspiration for the non-disabled. But ultimately, this is Jackson’s story and his against-all-odds approach to the most traumatic event of his life is undoubtedly admirable.

The documentary is shot like a pithy TV segment rather than a film, and feels somewhat lacking in cinematic flair. For a feature about mountain climbing, there’s little in the way of majestic cinematography – other than the expected aerial drone footage. Perhaps this is by design, as the film’s hero, Jackson, has free rein to tell his story without the distraction of sweeping cinematography.

Despite the psychological ruminations that the title alludes to, The Mountain Within Me is, ultimately, about climbing a tangible mountain. However, the film’s heart is in the right place and it’s an earnest look at the triumph of the human spirit.

Antonia Georgiou

The Mountain Within Me is released in select cinemas on 23^rd August 2024.

Watch the trailer for The Mountain Within Me here: