The Great Alone

...as much a story of man against nature, man against himself, and man against man as any story you would ever watch. The documentary plays out without maudlin hype, with excellent camera work- you are right THERE-warts and all. Mackey is an unlikely hero in the Iditarod, a 1000 mile race through grueling Alaskan wilderness, not a polished man but rough hewn and flawed but who appears MADE for just this sport. Kudos for letting us be our own judge... great journalism.

NOTE ON DOG ABUSE: I mushed ( 20 minutes) by a Colorado family that used "retired" sled dogs for tourists for these brief outings of 90 minutes. From the second these dogs are hooked up, they are lunging to pull, yapping, up on their hind legs, vocal... 'LETS GO!' You HAVE to stand on the brake when stopping or they will take off. I was not going to participate until I understood this: not torture but fulfillment for them. In the movie, Mackey is nuzzling all of his dogs regularly, sleeps with them outside at times!... with some nuzzled in his arms. They lick his face anytime he's close to them and can't get enough of him! Not abuse!

This movie was by far one of the most touching films I have seen. It takes you into the mind and life of a dog loving sled champion.If you are an animal lover you will love this, but if you aren't and simply love a great documentary.... Either way you will win if you watch. For those minutes I became Lance Mackey. Not only did it help me understand this amazing sport.... But it also let me feel as if I stepped into his shoes and for an hour or so.... I too was a dog sledding champion. Thanks for making this film and sharing your world with me. By the way, I found this gem in good ol' Netflix. I seriously would have paid to see this in a movie theater. It kept me at the edge of my seat.... It made me laugh.... Even made me tear up. MUST-SEE!

This documentary chronicles the story of Lance Mackey, to date the only winner of the Iditarod dog sled race four consecutive years (2007 thru 2010). The Iditarod race is held every March and is over 1.000 grueling miles through the Artic wilderness, beginning in Anchorage and ending in Nome, Alaska, and can take some 8 to 15 days to complete.

Mackey was smitten with the dog sled racing bug ever since he was very young, and especially after seeing his father Dick Mackey win the Iditarod in dramatic fashion, in 1978. However, he would have to overcome a lot of obstacles along the way including his rebellious youth and drug use, the divorce of his parents, and being given little chance to survive a throat cancer operation. Eventually, he would overcome them all and become a champion musher, while achieving lots of notoriety whether he welcomed it or not.

As far as the film itself, it can be disjointed, at times, but does contain some superb cinematography, and, of course, I'm always enamored by those wonderful and loyal sled dogs, to whom Mackey clearly gives much love and attention to.

All in all, I thought this documentary has some drawbacks, but it illustrates the remarkable determination of a man to overcome many challenges, and to be successful at what he loves to do.

I picked up the documentary from the library because I like Cloud Cult, the music in the background. That said, I have been very interested in the Iditarod. I didn't find Lance to be a very likeable person quite frankly. But I guess if you are a winner, often times your obsession doesn't allow you to be a socially perfect person. I was disappointed that his mother, who raised him, wasn't given more of a presence, particularly after he won the races. Lance clearly disliked his father but his father got the glory after Lance the first race in 2007 and his mother had to fight to get any kind of attention. I find that very dismissive and sexist.

He may have won four in a row and that is something that is something amazing. But yet, I feel like this film left me flat - like, so what? Maybe his personal history should have been left out? Or maybe there should have been more attention on the history of the race or even his brother and father's involvement.

I am sure if I met Lance I probably wouldn't like him. Is that the point?

This documentary is about a lot more than just a dog sled race. It totally exceeded my expectations.

I love Alaskan scenery and love dogs, so thought I'd give this film a go. Didn't expect this film to be so inspirational!

It's a story about redemption, and a love for family - both the human kind and dogs. Overcoming such challenges such as addiction, broken family bonds, an unforgiving climate, cancer and health issues along the way.

Beautiful cinematography - but it's virtually impossible to make Alaska look ugly anyway!

I lost it at the scene during the 2007 Iditarod when Lance knelt down and thanked each individual dog prior to the finish. His love for his dogs was the highlight of the film.

Definitely recommend!