Into the Wild starring Emile Hirsch,
Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener,
Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt
When You Do Not Fit In
A superb cast and an even-handed treatment of a true story buoy Into the
Wild, Sean Penns screen adaptation of Jon Krakauers bestselling book.
Emile Hirsch stars as Christopher McCandless, scion of a prosperous but
troubled family who, after graduating from Atlantas Emory University in the
early 1990s, decides to chuck it all and become a self-styled aesthetic
voyager in search of ultimate freedom. He certainly doesnt do it halfway:
after donating his substantial savings account to charity and literally
torching the rest of his cash, McCandless changes his name (to Alexander
Supertramp), abandons his family (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden as
his bickering, clueless parents and Jena Malone as his baffled but loving
sister, who relates much of the backstory in voice-over), and hits the road,
bound for the Alaskan bush and determined not to be found. For the next
two years he lives the life of a vagabond, working a few odd jobs, kayaking
through the Grand Canyon into Mexico, landing on L.A.s Skid Row, and
turning his back on everyone who tried to befriends him (including
Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker as two kindly, middle-aged hippies
and Hal Holbrook in a deeply affecting performance as an old widower who
tries to take Alex under his wing). Penn, who directed and wrote the
screenplay, alternates these interludes with scenes depicting McCandless
Alaskan idyll--which soon turns out be not so idyllic after all. Settling into
an abandoned school bus, he manages to sustain himself for a while,
shooting small game (and one very large moose), reading, and recording
his existential musings on paper. But when the harsh realities of life in the
wilderness set in, our boy finds himself well out of his depth, not just ill-
prepared for the rigors of day to day survival but realizi ng the importance
of the very thing he wanted to escape--namely, human relationships. Itd be
easy to either idealize McCandless as a genuinely free spirit,
unencumbered by the societal strictures that tie the rest of us down, or
else dismiss him as a hopelessly callow naïf, a fool whose disdain for
practical realities ultimately doomed him. Into the Wild does neither, for the
most part telling the tale with an admirable lack of cheap sentiment and
leaving us to decide for ourselves. --Sam Graham
The circles they grow
and they swallow people whole--Eddie Vedder
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It is so easy in life to get wrapped up in our daily routines and comfortable
habits. INTO THE WILD is an inspirational story about a young man that
broke the chains of conventional thinking and walked his own path. I was
expecting a basic, feel-good story that cant escape a certain level of
foolish sentimentality. But this journey is much more complex.
Its the true story of Christopher McCandless, AKA Alexander Supertramp,
a young man who abandoned his life of luxury in order to quench his thirst
for adventure. He was a college grad from a wealthy family, but just had
different plans than those that were laid out for him.
He donated his $25,000 savings to the hungry and embarked on his quest
of fufillment in the wilderness. Becoming one with nature. His journey had
one ultimate goal--Alaska. He was ill-prepared to survive the harsh
elements, having just his rifle and a field guide for edible plants. Sound a
little crazy?
Well yes, it very well might be. But Chris was an educated man, plus he
had quite an infectious personality. People seemed to be drawn toward
his free spirit, which was evident in his numerous encounters along the
way.
So I doubt he was totally naive to the dangers his brave quest entailed. He
was running towards something, but quite possibly away from something
as well.
Emile Hirsch does an absolutely amazing job in this role. Sean Penn also
does an incredible job directing this story. It really captures the heart of
this wayward adventure, which was courageous, admirable, and also quite
delusional. A must see film.
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