Torn

Although there's plenty of footage of the near-mythical, mountain-climbing icon Alex Lowe, this is ultimately a touching story of a family's long journey toward healing and recovery. Torn was directed by Alex's son Max, who mainly interviews his mom, brothers, and stepdad while taking us through Alex's life and some of the processes involved in making the movie. Max Lowe treats his subjects with respect and care while sometimes asking painful questions, and his subjects respond with heartfelt honesty and openness. If it had been a documentary strictly about Alex Lowe's life, viewers might feel that some important people and parts of the story are left out, like the cameraman who also died in the avalanche. But Lowe's life and death are really the starting point for a story about love and loss.

Although there's lots of footage and pictures of Lowe's kids when they were young, they're all adults now and talking about their lives and memories of Alex from a mature perspective. Younger viewers may lose interest, and the brief instances of profanity make it best for teens and up who can handle the strong emotions shown.