Like Ernest Hemingway, and like the character out of his novel The Sun Also Rises, the elder Wilson Ford is a renowned novelist with a ""secret"" that motivates him to act with abandon. In order to hone his writing skills, and to prove his mettle, Ford constantly puts his courage to trial by performing daring, bold, and often foolish deeds. Against his wife's wishes, Ford cajoles Bronson into a mountain hike that pits the older Ford against a youthful Bronson in a dangerous trek.