This ones' for eambber  :)  who like me, got "emotional" (for lack of a better word) after watching this film.




I remembered watching an Oprah show dedicated entirely to this movie. I was in a hospital bed then and for a full hour, I totally forgot I was sick. That episode was one of a kind. And I think, so is this movie. This is not a movie one can see in jest. Because it's not an easy film to watch. And I think it takes a level of commitment to watch it in a place quiet and free of distractions, so one can really have that "full experience".

Watching this in a movie house would have been best, but unfortunately this was not widely released. Or at least not in our country. I waited for this in our local theaters in vain..

Below is a short "review" I posted more than a year ago in Flixster.com. It is not at all comprehensive. I didn't go into details like the cinematography (which was a big part of the film) or moral dilemmas or symbolism. Or maybe I couldn't because I was too overwhelmed then. LOL. Needless to say,  I would have watched this even if Kristen wasn't on it (she was the proverbial "icing on the cake").



Title :  Into The Wild (2007)
Screenplay and Direction :  Sean Penn
Based on the novel by:  Jon Krakauer

~~~~~~~~~

There is much to admire in Christopher McCandless. Bravery notwithstanding, his being doggedly true to himself really makes him the person part of you wish you could be. That person who does not hesitate to give up material and personal attachments. Someone who could shut off everyone else's definition of success, just to pursue that burning desire to live the life that one wants for himself. Somehow, we all dreamt of this at one time or another, when we were young. To grow up living our dreams. The difference is McCandless never let go of his.

It is evident Sean Penn gave a lot of himself for his favorite nonfiction book to unfold in the silver screen. So eerily that even if you don't see him in the film at all, you feel him. Maybe because I found out before I watched it that he held on to this story for a decade, pimping it to every producer, not giving up despite being denied several times. Maybe it was his passion that affected and moved everyone, from the magnificent Emile Hirsch to the amazing Hal Holbrook, to give justice and honor to a story of a boy who just wanted to live, in the truest sense of the word.

Notable performances from former child stars Jena Malone (as the sister who understood his brother best) and Kristen Stewart (Jodie's diabetic daughter in Panic Room, oh my how she's grown!) as the hippie artist who could not even break Chris resolve. It came as a pleasant surprise to see her play the guitar and sing here. Eddie Vedder sang most of the songs that accompanied Chris in his journeys and what a perfect choice that was too.

~~~~~~~~~

Looking back now I realize one could easily say Chris was being selfish in his quest for personal freedom. But we did learn a lot from his mistakes. He was the uber idealist. He was brave alright, to have left everything and to have believed that he will be "sustained" wherever he may go. But in dong so, he left and hurt his family. He shunned love for adventure. And in the bittersweet end, he realized how one pays so much more for a solitary life, than a life lived with others.

Still, this may be one of the BRAVEST movies I've seen. This is what movies are for.  Not just to entertain but more importantly to affect, to educate and to keep people's minds working. I could just imagine the many discussions over coffee or beers among friends this film has spawned.