Into the Wild

Since I'm home today with a sick little boy, I thought I'd spend a few minutes posting. Wonder if I'll get canned for excessive absenteeism? Any takers?

.

I am not now THAT which I have been.
~Lord Byron

Into the Wild
Monumental act of egotism or unquenchable fire of the spirit?

The true story of Christopher McCandless’s solo trek into the Alaskan wild provides a fascinating cinematic look into a very short, very tragic life. On the surface one can see Chris’s motivation to become a leather tramp as escapism from affluence and a total rejection of the poorly pieced fragments of a broken home. But Sean Penn’s screenwriting goes deeper, managing to give one a more objective glimpse into the heart of an adventurous spirit.

After graduating from university, Chris donates all his money, cuts up his ID, and abandons his shot at Harvard Law and his family to roam the country. He demonstrates a remarkable amount of courage in the pursuit of his dream, although one can hardly call this familial cruelty courageous since he never contacts them again - not even sister Carine, a kindred spirit in every sense of the word.
Throughout his journey he meets a handful of special people whom he also ultimately abandons for the call of the road.

This denial of personal involvement is an impossible proposition; he forms relationships with those he meets, whether he acknowledges it or not, and these friends come to love him in their way. In fact, his presence in their lives is so moving they fairly plead with him to stay. Since he leaves them anyway, it begs the question, does he understand people at all?

His adventures are many, varied, funny, and tragic. I'm amazed he didn't succumb to injury or death much faster than he did during his two year odyssey.

McCandless’s final friendship with elderly widower Ron is the most touching and Hal Holbrook delivers a masterful performance. Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack is poignant and moving, but what makes this film truly special is the honesty of Chris’s yearning for enlightenment and solitude.

Fascinating scenery, a riveting story, and the question of whether selfishness or the heart’s quest for freedom motivates McCandless makes Into the Wild an indelible film experience.
As it has been said, uncompromising men are easy to admire. Being uncompromising, however, does not make one admirable.

At the end, McCandless makes a final entry into his journal. You’ll have to read the book or see the film to discover whether he found an answer in the wild, or not.
You decide.

An ‘A’, for a great story, well done.