The new film Everest depicts the tragic events of the 1996 Mount Everest Disaster, wherein eight people lost their lives when a storm struck the summit in what was at the time the deadliest day in the history of the world's tallest mountain. The movie follows the stories of several real people who were on the mountain that day. There's Rob Hall, played by Jason Clarke, who is the leader of an expedition for Adventure Consultants. One of his clients is Beck Weathers, portrayed by Josh Brolin, a doctor from Texas, and another key player is Scott Fischer, leader of the competing Mountain Madness exhibition, who is played by Jake Gyllenhaal. The wives of both Hall and Weathers were not on the mountain, but they play significant roles in the film as they are portrayed by acclaimed actresses Keira Knightley and Robin Wright, respectively. Yet although the third climber was married in real life as well, Scott Fischer's wife isn't depicted in Everest . What gives?
Apparently, Jeannie Price-Fischer just didn't want to be in the film. On Sondry.com, Price-Fischer wrote that she opposes the film's depiction of her late husband as what she sees as a careless partier, while she insists that he was in actually an introverted and extremely professional individual. "The portrayal of this gentle soul – and he was gentle as a husband and, especially, a father – has been twisted into some bizarre behemoth that I do not recognize," Price-Fischer wrote. She claimed that she declined an offer from Universal Pictures to have her likeness appear in the film, a deal that reportedly could have netted her around $400,000, and she wished to prevent the usage of her late husband's likeness as well, but was unable to due to his being a public figure. Bustle reached out to Universal for comment about Price-Fischer's claim, but hasn't heard back at this time.
She may not be in the movie, but Price-Fischer has had an impressive life off-screen. Five things to know about her:
She Claims She's Already Turned Down A Movie Before
Back in 1997, not long after her husband's death, Universal Pictures reportedly made its first offer to Price-Fischer in its wishes to depict her and Fischer in a movie. She claims she declined, despite the fact that she could have used the money, because she reportedly worried about how they might depict Fischer (the deal would have allegedly precluded her from suing Universal over their portrayal).
She Was An Airline Pilot
Price-Fischer previously worked as a pilot and flew such planes as Learjets, Boeing 727s and MD80s. Obviously her husband wasn't the only one in the family who liked to be above the clouds.
She Met Her Husband On A Mountain
The future husband and wife met on Wind River Peak in the Wyoming Rocky Mountains in 1974. Price-Fischer was Fischer's student in a National Outdoor Leadership School course. They married seven years later and had two children, settling in Seattle.
She's Glad Her Husband Died Doing What He Loved
"I would feel cheated if Scott had been killed in a car crash," Price-Fischer said at the time of her husband's death. "He deserved to die on Mount Everest."
Her Children Are Giving Back to Their Dad's Adopted Community
Price-Fischer's children, Andy and Katie Rose, are both heavily involved with the charity Classrooms in the Clouds. This Nepal-based organization supports education for the rural communities of the Himalayas, a place where their father spent a lot of time and which ultimately serves as his final resting place.
Jeannie Price-Fischer may not be crazy about how her late husband is portrayed in Everest, but she was certainly crazy about the man himself. She continues to try to spread the truth about Fischer's life, and will probably continue to do so for the rest of her life.
Images: Universal Pictures; Giphy (5)
