Into the Wild
Directed by Sean Penn
Written by Sean Penn based on the book by Jon Krakauer
2007/USA
Paramount Vantage/Art Linson Productions/Into the Wild/River Road Entertainment
First viewing; Streaming on Netflix Watch Instantly
#1100 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (2013 Combined List)
[box] Christopher McCandless: Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, ’cause “the West is the best.” And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild. – Alexander Supertramp May 1992[/box]
I recently read Krakauer’s book and watched this screen adaptation on impulse. I was not disappointed. This is a beautiful and haunting film with outstanding performances.
This is the true story of Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch), who graduated from college and took off across America, largely by foot and thumb, on a journey of self-discovery calling himself Alexander Supertramp. Along the way, he meets several kind people who take an interest in him. But his ultimate goal is to “live off the land” alone in the wilderness of Alaska. This is easier dreamed than done. With Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt as Chris’s parents and Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, and Hal Holbrook as friends he makes on his journey.
I’m surprised Sean Penn did not receive at least a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination for this film. He certainly deserved one. It was not an easy book to adapt since so much of the story is very lonely. Now I can’t imagine how it could have been done any other way. Penn also got outstanding performances out of his cast. Emile Hirsch is an absolute revelation.
McCandless, who basically disappeared and methodically covered his tracks, caused an immense amount of pain to his family. Still, it is hard not to identify with the yearning to immerse oneself in nature and McCandless’s youthful idealism is admirable. Both the book and the movie leave open a lot of questions regarding the boy’s sanity and true purpose. I like that the story seems to end with the belated realization “Happiness only real when shared”.
Hal Holbrook received a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his work in Into the Wild. The film was also nominated for Best Achievement in Film Editing.
Alternative trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U_GoiFy6kw
Clip – Saying goodbye – Hal Holbrook and Emile Hirsch
