– as they attempt to bring Michael’s body home. Spencer was just 10 when his brother died, so his memories of Michael are limited, making them all the more precious.
He describes Michael as a “hero”, though it never occurred to him that his brother’s body could be recovered, until the family received a photo in 2017. There was a sliver of hope that this – blurry and from a distance – was Michael’s body. Spencer, whose “wild optimism” sometimes clouds his judgement, was certain his brother could be found, and set about building a team of expert climbers and sherpas to scale the mountain in search of Michael..
Spencer is a stolid storyteller, and at times feels removed from the inherent sentimentality of the project. His whole family, he explains, are stoic to a fault, each of them very pragmatic about both Michael’s death and his potential return home. The only tears come from Spencer’s wife Vogue Williams, who gave birth just eight days before her husband was due to leave for Nepal, and Dave Rodney, a Canadian who was on the same expedition as Michael in 1999.
Watching Spencer visit the same villages, bathe in the same natural pools and be blessed in the same temples is incredibly poignant. Even if he doesn’t indulge his own sentimental side throughout his trek to base camp, it’s impossible to ignore the poignancy of the mission ahead. Once settled in camp, Spencer allows himself emotion, but it is anger, not sadness, that keeps him hopeful.
But with the team already in place and the Matthews family footing the bill, Spencer decides it is their duty to recover at least one person who died on the mountain, even if it’s not Michael. It’s a move that turns the documentary from an intensely personal story into something bigger, honouring the huge number of climbers who die on Everest .
emilyrbakes Did you really have to tweet that when it hasn’t even be released yet. Not cool.
emilyrbakes Really. A spoiler when no one’s even been able to watch it yet. Thanks 🤦🏼♀️