Hit the High Spots

In an era where the silver screen was just beginning to grasp the verticality of human ambition, the Tewksbury family emerges as a quintessential vessel for Hal Roach’s burgeoning comedic sensibilities. Under the eccentric, perhaps even mystical, stewardship of Brother Ambrose, this domestic unit sheds their terrestrial comforts for the rugged, unforgiving textures of the Alpinist. Clad in gear that seems both anachronistic and absurdly cumbersome, the clan embarks on a mountain-climbing expedition that functions less as a sporting endeavor and more as a choreographed descent into chaos. The narrative eschews traditional dramatic arcs in favor of a kinetic exploration of gravity, where every handhold is a precarious gamble and every ledge a stage for the Tewksbury's collective clumsiness. It is a work that interrogates the hubris of the weekend warrior, transforming the sublime majesty of the peaks into a playground for the ridiculous, all while Brother Ambrose navigates the group through a series of increasingly perilous, yet hilariously inept, vertical maneuvers.