“It was worth a try.”
Why it's great
A failed attempt gets a shrug instead of regret, and the line lands like a small victory.
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I didn't get the job, but it was worth a try.
00:00 / 03:24
00:00 / 03:24
Aron Records a Video Diary, Explained
127 Hours · 2010
Chapter 3 of 5 · 3'24"
In the canyon, Aron turns the camera on himself to narrate his own survival. He jokes about failed pulley rigs and drinking his own urine, but lines like "It was worth a try" show a man talking himself out of despair. Under the gallows humor is a record he's leaving for whoever finds him.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:33–1:15
Aron's Failed Pulley Plan
42s - 1:35–2:17
❝ Monologue · 10 lines survival report to camera
He turns humiliating body news into deadpan comedy for the lens.
42s
Aron Records a Video Diary, explained
What happens
Trapped alone in Blue John Canyon with his arm pinned, Aron keeps a video diary to stay sane. He explains a failed pulley system, lists the gear he'd need, rations his water, confesses he peed in his CamelBak, and talks about a raven that visits each morning. He keeps chipping at the rock, mostly to stay warm.
What's really going on
The video diary is a survival tool disguised as a chat. Naming things out loud — the failed pulley, the urine in the CamelBak, the raven — keeps Aron's mind occupied and keeps him a person rather than an animal waiting to die. The jokes are doing real work: "It's got to be chilled like sauvignon blanc," he says about his own urine, turning horror into a bit. When he talks about the tourniquet, the tone changes. That word points at what he already suspects he may have to do. The camera gives him someone to talk to, and the running commentary is less a record for rescuers than a way of refusing to disappear quietly.
Key lines & what they mean
- “It was worth a try.”
- After his pulley plan fails, Aron shrugs it off. The line is less about the rig than about refusing to let a dead end become despair.
- “That should just about do it.”
- The end of his gear list, including the joke about eight burly men. He's summarizing what would rescue him, knowing none of it is here.
- “They'll just have to wait.”
- About the insects he jokes will have to wait for a meal. It's gallows humor that keeps his fear at arm's length.
- “Which should keep me alive till tomorrow night.”
- His estimate of the water he has left. It's practical, but the phrasing turns his life into a deadline.
- “It's got to be chilled like sauvignon blanc.”
- He compares his own urine to a white wine that should be chilled. The joke is a way of making an unbearable situation talkable.
Theme
- Survival — Aron narrates his own survival out loud, rationing water and joking to keep his mind from breaking.
- Loneliness — Alone in the canyon, he talks to a camera because it's the only company he has left.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level3/6
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“That should just about do it.”
Why it's great
After a list of impossible supplies, the dry conclusion makes the whole joke land.
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Informal
Use it yourself
Two more shirts and that should just about do it.
“They'll just have to wait.”
Why it's great
Talking to insects as if they were waiting guests turns a dire moment into deadpan humor.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
The kitchen is busy, so we'll just have to wait.
“Which should keep me alive till tomorrow night.”
Why it's great
Survival gets reduced to a plain supply count, and the calm is what chills.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
This should keep us going till the weekend.
“It's got to be chilled like sauvignon blanc.”
Why it's great
A fussy wine note about plain water makes the survival diary suddenly funny.
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Informal
Use it yourself
This tea has to be served hot, like a proper breakfast tea.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ survival report to camera
I peed twice. Almost pissed my pants. Uh, I don't know, my body's acting really weird. The second time I did it in the CamelBak. Smells really bad. But, uh, I'm sure it'll settle. It's got to be chilled like sauvignon blanc. No number twos. Which should disappoint my insect friends. They'll just have to wait.
He turns humiliating body news into deadpan comedy for the lens.
Up next · 04right on the moneyThe scene: Aron Hallucinates a Morning ShowTakeaways
What you walk away with- A calm voice can hide a fight to survive.
- A small gear list becomes a survival plan.
- Joking about urine keeps panic at arm's length.
- Even a raven counts as company down here.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy is Aron recording himself?
It's a video diary. Talking out loud keeps him company and keeps his mind steady while he's trapped, and it may also be a record for whoever finds him.
What does Aron mean by 'my insect friends'?
It's dark humor. He jokes that the insects will be disappointed because he hasn't had a bowel movement, implying he expects to become food for them.
Why does he mention a tourniquet?
Because he's thinking about cutting off his own arm. The tourniquet is equipment he'd need for that, and mentioning it shows he's already considering it.
What failed for Aron before this?
He spent the morning building a pulley system to lift the rock, but the friction was too high and his climbing rope stretched too much, so it didn't work.
What does 'worth a try' tell us about Aron?
That he won't beat himself up over a failed plan. He treats the attempt as something to be proud of rather than a waste of energy.