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Into the Wild (2007)
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Reviews Counted: 174
Fresh: 144
Rotten:30
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Consensus: With his sturdy cast and confident direction, Sean Penn has turned a complex work of non-fiction like Into the Wild into an accessible and poignant character study.
Runtime: 3 hrs 8 mins
Genre: Dramas
US Box Office: $18,173,360
Synopsis: Jon Krakauer's bestselling nonfiction book about the life of Chris McCandless is finally brought to the big screen in INTO THE WILD. Directed by Sean Penn, the film opens in 1992, when Chris (Emile... Jon Krakauer's bestselling nonfiction book about the life of Chris McCandless is finally brought to the big screen in INTO THE WILD. Directed by Sean Penn, the film opens in 1992, when Chris (Emile Hirsh) is a promising college graduate. Shortly after graduation, Chris gives his life savings to charity, burns all of his identification, and begins hitchhiking across America, his ultimate goal being Alaska. Citing passages from his heroes, Thoreau and Jack London, he is determined to escape society and get back to nature. He blows from town to town like a tumbleweed, hopping trains, camping with aging hippies (Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker), working briefly with a farmer (Vince Vaughan), and befriending a widowed leather worker (Hal Holbrook). He revels in his newfound freedom, but meanwhile, his parents (Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt) have no idea where he is, and are sick with worry. While their relationship with Chris was already troubled, they are nonetheless devastated by his disappearance. Chris's sister, Carine (Jane Malone), narrates much of the film, offering her reflections on the effect Chris's absence has on his family. Chris finally makes it to Alaska, where he hikes out to a remote campsite and discovers an abandoned bus. He manages to survive there for a few months living off the land, but he eventually runs out of supplies and becomes trapped, leading to his tragic end. INTO THE WILD bounces around chronologically, jumping back and forth from the start of Chris's journey to his final few weeks living aboard the bus. This works to great effect as the storylines begin to merge and the tension and dread mount, and we see the fate that will eventually befall Chris. Penn obviously had great admiration for his subject, and while the film appears to differ from the book in places, it nevertheless paints a heartbreaking portrait of this young man's short but fascinating life. [More]
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook, Zach Galifianakis
Director: Sean Penn
Director: Sean Penn
Screenwriter: Sean Penn
Producer: Sean Penn, Art Linson, Bill Pohlad
Composer: Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder
Studio: Paramount Vantage
Reviews for Into the Wild
The role of the rebellious adventurer intent on doing things his own way is the kind of role Sean Penn might have taken on himself twenty five years ago, but Penn makes his mark this time as screenwriter and director
Into The Wild has been made into a prayer of a motion picture by Sean Penn. It may not touch everybody, but those whom it does touch, it will touch deeply. It is a haunting odyssey.
Penn has managed an impressive achievement that qualifies as a great American film. [Blu-ray]
...it's not the character of McCandless...but the supporting cast and characters who bring the story to life.
Often too concerned with how smart he's being, Sean Penn gets the quiet moments right while some of the more dialogue-intensive come off poorly.
Hirsch may be the talk of Into the Wild, but Penn should be commended for putting together such a strong cast.
Perhaps destined to follow the same emotional arc as the true story it portrays, the film starts with great promise, passion, and inspiration only to quietly wane.
A tale of life needlessly lost by a young man who realizes too late that reckless self-reliance is not necessarily the path to self-awareness. That he fails to realize this sooner is tragic; that the film celebrates the misunderstanding is bewildering.
Sean Penn deserves huge credit for the gentle hand he has used in telling this incredible story.
Into the Wild is a film to meditate on. It's long, it's not particularly fast moving but it struck me in a carnal fashion.
Thoroughly entertaining Hollywood fare which holds up a dope as a person deserving of admiration.
Christopher learns too late that one must love and fear nature in equal measure and that happiness is meaningless without someone with whom to share it.
Latest News for Into the Wild
March 27, 2008:
Jay Cassidy on Into the Wild: The RT Interview
Jay Cassidy, editor of critically acclaimed film, Into the Wild, talks to RT about his long term collaboration with Sean Penn and making films in the wilds of Alaska. More...
March 03, 2008:
RT on DVD: Into the Wild, Things We Lost In The Fire, My Kid Could Paint That Arrive
Into the Wild, Sean Penn's lyrical adventure about a young idealist on a cross-country trek, leads new releases this week. More...
February 22, 2008:
Into the Wild's Jay Cassidy Talks Oscar Nomination with RT
Sean Penn's critically acclaimed film, Into the Wild, tells the story of Chris McCandless who hitchhiked into the Alaskan wilderness with tragic consequences. Long time Penn... More...
January 28, 2008:
There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men Top ASC, DGA Awards
Perhaps the ASC and DGA Awards aren't the flashiest ceremonies of the season, but being honored by one's peers is always a cause for celebration, so let's take a moment to... More...
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