Into the Wild

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Jena Malone, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Hal Holbrook, Kristen Stewart
Directed by: Sean Penn
Rating: R
Genre: Adventure, Drama
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) decides to leave his entire life behind after college, including his parents (William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden) and sister (Jena Malone) to go on his great adventure into the wilderness of Alaska. Along the way, he meets a wide variety of people as he sets off to live alone in the wild.

Review:

Tim: I had read the book "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer and for the most part, I liked it. The book was well written and entertaining. What I didn't like had nothing to do with the book. While I appreciated Christopher McCandless' amazing adventure to Alaska, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was a whiny kid who couldn't cope with society. He does make some great points about how awful society can be, he seemed less a hero, and more a man who created his own tragedy because of his personal dissatisfaction with how the world operated. Instead of wanting to change the world to fit his own image of how it should be, he decided to run away. He chose escape.

Considering my slight concerns about the source material, I wasn't sure how I was going to like this movie. Luckily, I found a movie that is beautifully directed by Sean Penn. The film never feels rushed, and it tells its story slowly, letting the drama and character development unfold at its own pace.

Luckily, the film is also helped out by an absolutely stellar cast. Emile Hirsch is quite impressive as Christopher McCandless. He plays the part with strength and courage, and almost made me forget about my twinge of dislike for McCandless the real person. Hirsch is excellent. He has great help from the supporting cast. Catherine Keener is quite entertaining in her role. She's a terrific actress. Vince Vaughn adds in a good performance as well. I wish Jena Malone, William Hurt, and Marcia Gay Harden had more screen time. Hal Holbrook is excellent, but I wonder if he really deserved his Academy Award nomination for a very small role. Even Kristen Stewart puts in a very good performance. The cast here is amazing.

However, the movie is first and foremost about Emile Hirsch. This kid is going to have an outstanding career. He gives a remarkable performance. He's amazing to watch, especially once he gets away from civilization and into the wild. This movie is very, very good. I highly recommend it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



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