Whitney Kutch

This documentary is really a “coming of age” story about 20 yr old John Leonard being mentored by wiser, older Todd Hoffman. Sure, this it glaringly portrays Pepsi as the big, bad wolf, but there’s much more depth layered throughout this seemingly fun David vs. Goliath story. I graduated high school in 1995, so the flashbacks from present day to mid-90’s shook core memories I had forgotten, so double points for nostalgia. But what really strums my heartstrings, is the nurturing relationship between Leonard and Hoffman. They first meet hiking Mt Denali - John as the teenage junior guide, and Todd as the older, successful businessman whose only commonality is their passion for hiking the tallest mountains in every country. I would have to assume that Todd relied pretty heavily on John during this trip as he was still healing from an accident, and doctors advised him not to go. Fast forward to the end of the show with the 2 men climbing Mt. Everest, ailing Todd is once again relying on younger John to help and guide the hike. They obviously developed a deep bond during that first trip because John reached out to Todd to help him achieve the Harrier Jet. Instead of dismissing John as just a kid’s crazy idea, Todd saw this as an opportunity to teach John encouraging him to build a business plan and challenging him every step of the way: his patience and time poured into this kid is the kind of mentor we should all strive to be. His whole focus was on supporting John’s dream and building confidence in a boy becoming a man: John’s own sweet mother even regarded him as a father figure early on in the show. There’s a lot more characters that make the show more entertaining and informative, but the simpatico loving and nurturing relationship bw John Leonard and Todd Hoffman make this documentary a MUST watch!