Yes this was produced by Coppola's company American Zoetrope. So why is it such a poor and so typical TV movie? Both the lead actors are acceptable and forgettable, the movie obviously never got anywhere outside of Canada, the music score is poor, the special effects are sparse and poor as well.
It's also hampered by a flashback structure with a poor teaser scene and then a "two weeks earlier" title that lets you know you've got a long time to wait to get back to the poor opening scene, that is then re-shown in it's entirety when you finally get there.
The script and direction are bland, but both writer and director went on to do much TV, I can only think they did better TV than this.
There are a few nice aerial shots that convey a bit of a sense of being lost in the wilderness but the rest is boring.
Why would Coppola produce this? For the money I guess, or to get his company into producing television but there is no excuse for a script this bad being made. I would have turned it off, only I kept thinking this must have some aspect of quality. I found none and found myself fast forwarding through the many unexciting walking through the snow and camping out at night scenes in the pine forests of Mt Everest. Pine forests!!!! A failure on all levels from people who must have known better given the rest of their careers.
