Nappaland's DVDBlog

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INTO THE WILD (R)

(Paramount Home Video)

Plot Summary: Shortly after graduating from college, a young man embarks on an adventure that begins in Atlanta and ends in the wilds of Alaska.

Reason for the Rating: Language and some nudity.

Adventure.

Leaving behind all the things that burden your heart…bitterness, anger, disillusionment, the people that disappoint, and beginning a new life afresh.

Have you ever thought, “If only I could…?”

Well, Chris McCandless thought those very things, but he actually did leave everything behind and began a search for meaning and purpose that took him on the adventure of his life.

It’s interesting how situations and people in our lives interact with our personalities and push us onward. Into the Wild is the true story of Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a young man who seems to have the world at his fingertips. He has just graduated from Emory University, has $24,000 remaining in his college fund, and parents who are willing to pay the difference for him to attend Harvard Law School. But Chris, having studied poverty and Third World politics in college and experienced the wealth of America, doesn’t want anything to do with money. Instead he gives all but $500 of his college fund to charity and sets off in his old yellow Datsun, headed for anywhere but home. This trip isn’t all about forsaking money, though. At some point in the past he discovered that his parents had raised him and his sister, Corine (Jena Malone), on a lie. It seems Wally (William Hurt) and Billie McCandless (Marcia Gay Harden) were not married when Chris and Corine where born. Combined with an emotionally unstable home life, the discovery of the truth opens a chasm between Chris and his parents that he is unwilling to bridge. Corine likens Chris to crystal…seemingly hard, but easily broken into pieces that leave deep

When Chris leaves, he assumes a new name, Alex Supertramp, and ends up tramping all over the western United States. He lives on the edge of society, and befriends many who live there as well. Several of these contacts turn into deeper friendships, where Chris bears bits of the truth of his past. Interestingly, each person to whom he reveals the purposeful separation he has placed between he and his parents has their own story of familial loss…a mother who is no longer in contact with her only son, a older man who lost his wife and son in a car crash, and a man who has many friends but is still all alone. Each one encourages Chris/Alex to forgive and put his anger away. But this is something he is determined work out on his own.

After two years of wandering adventures in the West, Chris turns his sights on what he sees as the ultimate adventure: Alaska. Really living off the land, alone, with only a few items for survival. And so he finds a place on the map that seems as remote as he can find, and walks into the wild for an adventure that he thinks will teach him what others cannot.

Into the Wild is a story that has many facets. First is just the amazing story of this intelligent and philosophical young man hitch-hiking and jumping trains all over the US, touching lives wherever he goes. There’s the story of a broken family who learns gentleness and unity through loss. We see a young man living from conviction and not what society thinks he should be. There are the themes of forgiveness and grace. And the idea of adventure. When combined, these make a story that is unforgettable and moving. Sean Penn, who wrote, directed, and produced the film, began pursuing this story when he first read the book by Jon Krakauer 10 years ago. Penn did an amazing job of putting the story into a movie. It’s a well-written and beautifully acted story. Emile Hirsch isn’t just marvelous to watch, but he draws you into the life of Chris McCandless. He took on this role with everything he had, and it shows. He lived in the bus where Chris lived in Alaska (losing 40 lbs from his already lean frame), he kayaked the Colorado, and hiked icy mountains. His portrayal of McCandless is something beautiful and agonizing to watch.

DVDBLOG RECOMMENDS:

Everything, from the acting and directing to the music, is poignant and meaningful in Into the Wild. It’s a movie that will spark conversation on many different fronts, and as such is a great movie to see with your spouse, mature children, or just a friend. DVDBlog warning: There are several scenes with nudity, although not sexually intimate in nature..

AFTER THE SHOW: 

• What would keep you from going on this kind of adventure? Explain.

• When have you experienced forgiveness? How did it change you?

• How would your life be different if you lived from the kind of conviction as Chris? What are your beliefs that are most important to you?

JW

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Note: All movie-related graphics in this column are standard publicity/promotional shots and are owned by their respective movie studios.