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INTO THE WILD (2007) (****)

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Including this film, I have only seen two of the four full-feature films that actor Sean Penn has directed. While the thriller THE PLEDGE left no real lasting impression on me, INTO THE WILD has stuck in my mind for days after seeing it. Penn adapted Jon Krakauer's bestselling non-fiction tome with great depth and passion. It's a project that come Oscar time could be shined upon brightly. It deserves it; it's one of the best films of the year.

Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch, LORDS OF DOGTOWN) was an idealistic, determined and selfish young man, who gave away all his savings to Oxfam, burned his ID and hit the open road. Changing his name to Alexander Supertramp, Chris partly abandoned a chance to go to Harvard Law as a form of rebellion against the lies of his conservative, warring parents Walt and Billie (William Hurt, ACCIDENTAL TOURIST & Marcia Gay Harden, POLLOCK). We get a perspective on his troubled home life from the voice over of his younger sister Carine (Jena Malone, SAVED!). Chris's goal is to venture out into the complete wilderness of Alaska, following the inspiration of his literary heroes Jack London, Henry David Thoreau and Leo Tolstoy. His first significant encounter is with the hippie travelers Rainey and Jan (Brian Dierker & Catherine Keener, THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN), but leaves them when he begins to feel like a third wheel. Along the way he will work on a farm for Wayne Westerberg (Vince Vaughn, SWINGERS). There is a hint of romance when he meets a teenager named Tracy (Kristen Stewart, ZATHURA) at a hippie commune. Later, he develops a friendship with the kind old man Ron Franz (Hal Holbrook, 1980's THE FOG), who teaches him leatherwork.

I've always felt Hirsch was a good actor, now he has given his first great performance. He balances effortlessly the good and bad sides of his character. We understand the determination that is driving him and the pain that fuels it, but this clouds his perspective, making him overlook the feelings of others and important details that have tragic results. He is supported well by the rest of the stellar cast. Oscar winners Hurt and Harden are effective in small roles at getting over the detrimental impact Chris's parents had on his life and how his disappearance changed them. Keener is great, as usual, in a more emotional role than she's had of late. In his screen debut, Dierker is a natural as the aging hippie. However, the real stand out is Holbrook. If this film only gets one Oscar nod, it should be for him. Out of all the supporting characters, he has an emotional arch that is heart-rending. He delivers every moment with ultimate sincerity. Knowing Chris's fate, Hirsch's final line to Holbrook is delivered in such a way that we are gripped with the emotional weight and sadness of the character's nearly caviler attitude.

Some critics have complained about the film's structure and length, I found nothing wrong with either. The length adds to the epic journey, making the viewer understand fully what Chris had to endure to reach his goal. The structure, which weaves the story of Chris in Alaska with flashbacks of his journey there, slyly builds to Chris's poignant revelation. Penn's screenplay finds powerful irony in the more self-centered actions of Chris, but paints an overall picture that is sadly tragic and inspirational at the same time. Other critics have complained that it deifies McCandless too much, which I find completely off base. There is something alluring about the notion to shuffle off the shackles of modern society and live off the land, but Penn never paints Chris's actions as Christ-like. He's a charming, smart kid, who makes friends easily and elicits parental pangs in others, because they worry about his welfare going into the wilderness alone. Additionally, others have criticized Eddie Vedder's music, but again, I found the Pearl Jam lead singer's rustic voice fitting for the material.

This epic character study is a grand, sad poem to living freely and finding personal redemption. We learn a great deal about the central figure from the richly developed characters around him. The film is in awe of what McCandless tried to do, but doesn't glorify it. If you think you can cut it out in the wild after the moose sequence than more power to ya. Combining a great script and performances with beautiful photography, Penn has made a lasting testament to the human spirit, especially one wounded by the people he trusted the most.

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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks