Into the Wild

[bigbadbuff]

Saw this film Saturday night, and I highly, highly recommend it. Emile Hirsch is unreal. It should get serious Oscar talk for cinematography, best actor, director, and score.

For those who don't know the premise, it's based on a true story originally written for Outside magazine. Here's a synopsis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Wild

For those who've seen it/know the story, what do you think? I am fascinated with it- I'm halfway thru the book right now.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

I saw it on Sunday night and I really liked it as well. But, part of me also wanted to ***** slap him for thinking himself so above society that he would want to remove himself from it.
Eddie Vedder and the rest of the score was great and like you said it was shot in a very beautiful manner.
The story was good and wasn't just a Mountain Man Going Into The Wild adventure story. You sit and wonder if he's going to call his parents, if he is going to break down and go back home.


SPOILER ALERT BELOW!!!

Since you've seen the movie you obviously know he dies...from a tiny little seed. I didn't realize this and thought that the story was him re-telling it after he returned home from the wild...not base on his diaries (I assume?).

I do feel that I'd like to read the book at some point.

 

[shoreman1782]

I haven't seen it or read it, but from what I have seen and read, the main character seems like he was a self-righteous fool. Do I have the wrong impression?

 

[bigbadbuff]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

But, part of me also wanted to ***** slap him for thinking himself so above society that he would want to remove himself from it.

Absolutely. Perhaps it was just how I viewed it, but I thought he obviously had an epiphany in his final days that he missed society... that he needed it, much more than he thought, and that he also needed to forgive his parents.

There is no question that he was arrogant in the planning and execution of the Alaska trip. I'm sure the fact that he got by for years in the manner he did was all the convincing he needed, but he never encountered that isolation and those conditions anywhere else.

The story was good and wasn't just a Mountain Man Going Into The Wild adventure story.

This is what my wife thought it was going to be about. She didn't know there was as much backstory involved.

The scene with the older man (Hal Holbrook) asking a request of Alex before he leaves for his trip... that was killing my wife. Very emotional scene.

SPOILER ALERT BELOW!!!

Since you've seen the movie you obviously know he dies...from a tiny little seed. I didn't realize this and thought that the story was him re-telling it after he returned home from the wild...not base on his diaries (I assume?).

I do feel that I'd like to read the book at some point.

The Outside magazine piece, and the book that Jon Krakauer wrote, were all based on McCandless' diaries and interviews with the people McCandless met along the way.

If you have the Sundance channel, DEFINITELY catch the Iconoclasts episode with Sean Penn and Jon Krakauer (it premiered last week, so I'm sure there will be reruns). Jon talks about how Chris could have gotten across the river...

 

[bigbadbuff]

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

I haven't seen it or read it, but from what I have seen and read, the main character seems like he was a self-righteous fool. Do I have the wrong impression?

In some ways, no question, at least IMO. But his reasons for doing what he did and the story that results from it is what is so interesting.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

I feel that in the book, having to read more of his personal diary entries (I'm sure Sean Penn only got 1/8th of them in there) about society I would treat him witha loving disdain as I do Holden Caufield.

 

[ghulkhan]

The movie was good but he did not go completely into the wild and live off the land COMPLETELY....Bear Grylls is more badass

 

[bigbadbuff]

Originally Posted by ghulkhan

The movie was good but he did not go completely into the wild and live off the land COMPLETELY....Bear Grylls is more badass

I don't think anyone is trying to make badass comparisions. And Grylls wouldn't be an apt comparison anyway.

 

[VMan]

Read the book when it was first published - an interesting story to say the least.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

But, part of me also wanted to ***** slap him for thinking himself so above society that he would want to remove himself from it.

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

I haven't seen it or read it, but from what I have seen and read, the main character seems like he was a self-righteous fool. Do I have the wrong impression?

Very true. But that's one of the things that I think makes the movie interesting. Overall I thought it was good rather than great (my wife absolutely loved it), with stunning cinematography. But I give Penn a lot of credit for not over-glorifying him in order to make him more "sympathetic", but instead allowing his immaturity and hubris -- and the resulting ambiguity -- come through.

Originally Posted by ghulkhan

The movie was good but he did not go completely into the wild and live off the land COMPLETELY....Bear Grylls is more badass

Chuck Norris would kill the wild and turn Bear Grylls into a throw rug.

 

[romafan]

Has anyone seen 'Grizzly Man'?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427312/

 

[ghulkhan]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Chuck Norris would kill the wild and turn Bear Grylls into a throw rug.

hmm..that might be true, but don niam would kick both of their asses. he is the wild...


don niam in his hit movie undefeatable:

http://youtube.com/verify_age?next_u...%3Duxkr4wS7XqY

 

[FLMountainMan]

Originally Posted by ghulkhan

The movie was good but he did not go completely into the wild and live off the land COMPLETELY....Bear Grylls is more badass

The guy who stays in hotels at night? The guy who hires people dressed in bear costumes for the show? The guy who wears a life raft to float down the Colorado? Yeah, he's a real badass for serving in the SAS and the Everest stuff, but the TV show is a joke. Get over the man-crush.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_vs._Wild


For those describing McCandless as a self-righteous fool, I completely agree. However, how many superintelligent college kids aren't?

 

[lefty]

Originally Posted by FLMountainMan

The guy who stays in hotels at night? The guy who hires people dressed in bear costumes for the show? The guy who wears a life raft to float down the Colorado? Yeah, he's a real badass for serving in the SAS and the Everest stuff, but the TV show is a joke. Get over the man-crush.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_vs._Wild


For those describing McCandless as a self-righteous fool, I completely agree. However, how many superintelligent college kids aren't?

Agree on both counts.

lefty

 

[bigbadbuff]

Originally Posted by romafan

Has anyone seen 'Grizzly Man'?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427312/

Yes, and it is interesting as well- but not on the same level (for me). I thought Treadwell was a pretty weird guy who liked videotaping himself acting like a protector of bears (which he was not, he simply lived close to them) and living by himself with little means.

He certainly shared McCandless' (and many others over the years) desire to leave normal life behind and follow his dream. Good for him, but like most everyone that does that, bad results.