I just watched Into the Wild this weekend, somewhat of an unfortunate choice only in the sense that it’s been snowing here in Pittsburgh, and well, the movie is half set in Alaska. But all was not lost, because there were also scenes from South Dakota, California, the Grand Canyon, and even a stretch in Mexico.
And that diversity and breadth of storytelling was a big part of why I thoroughly enjoyed the film.
This movie will inspire the traveler in you to follow Thoreau (one of Chris McCandless’s favorite authors) abandon the rat race for a piece of your own wilderness and adventure. Chris, by the way, is the real-life young Emory grad who the movie is based upon; he donates his life savings of $24,000 to Oxfam and becomes a full-time tramp. He eventually finds his way to Alaska, his dream, where he sets into the pure wilderness with nothing more than a gun and some reading material.
I had just a few qualms about the movie. First, the editing could be a bit better (which is quite a controversial stance, mind you, considering it was nominated for an Oscar for this). I just feel it could have been told in 2 hours instead of 2.5. This leads into my next quip, that some of the scenes were quite cliche, for instance the one of him surrounded by Alaskan mountains, with his hands above him, celebrating his freedom.
But it’s worth a watch. I’m looking forward to Catherine‘s take, since she’s from that neck of the woods.