Firefight911 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Last night Jamie and I watched a movie that really moved me. In ways I don't fully know how to articulate but also in ways that are special and unique to me this movie spoke to me. we got it through NetFlix. It is based on a true story of a young man who just finishes achieving his degree from college and sets off on a journey of adventure, self-discovery, personal exploration, and also on a journey to exorcise demons of his past. The movie is produced and directed by Sean Penn. It has a wonderful cast including an unbelievable performance by Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn, William Hurt, and others. It also contains some fantastic music by Eddie Vedder, et al. I highly recommend this movie. It is a journey and an adventure and can be liked to and found similar in some respects to the journeys of our lives and on our trips, desired or realized, on our motorcycles. Here's the website for it - Into the Wild When you're done with that one, try Sweetland Link to comment
SeanC Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 It's one of my favorite books (along with Krakauer's Into Thin Air), but I haven't seen the movie yet. Thanks for the tip. Link to comment
BFish Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 read the book and saw the movie when it came out couple years ago. enjoyed both. Link to comment
ghaverkamp Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I concur. It was an excellent movie, and definitely one that people who have set off on their own little private journeys can connect with. Link to comment
Selden Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 The film was a faithful translation from print to screen. Since I worked at Emory, I was familiar with the Chris McCandless story, and I decided to read the book before I left on a ride to Alaska in 2006. I didn't quite finish it before hitting the road, so I read the final 30 or so pages in the Skagway Public Library. One of the benefits of reading the book before the trip was that I became much more concerned about self preservation, and keeping in touch with friends and family while on the road for 42 days. In many ways McCandless was a self-centered ass, although he reminded me of myself at the same age . I wonder what he would have become had he not made a fatal misjudgement in the wilderness. Sean Penn did a loving job of translating the book to screen, and the story is worth both reading and seeing. It probably doesn't matter in which order. Emile Hirsch's performance as McCandless is incredibly intense; I have no idea how much weight he lost for this role, but he was truly emaciated by the end of the film. Link to comment
Joel Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Haven't read the book, but did see the movie. Very thought provoking. In particular, it got me wondering about the fine line between a free spirit and mental illness. And, I felt particularly bad for McCandless' sister. Link to comment
Dave McReynolds Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Haven't read the book, but did see the movie. Very thought provoking. In particular, it got me wondering about the fine line between a free spirit and mental illness. And, I felt particularly bad for McCandless' sister. I agree that the movie and the book were well done. John Krakauer is a hell of an outdoorsman who has "walked the walk" as well as he is able to "talk the talk." I agree with your comment above about mental illness. McCandless seemed bent on self-destruction. Survival in the wilderness is a learned skill, with as many requirements as any other profession. Someone heading off into the Alaskan wilderness with the intention of surviving the winter who does not have those skills has much less chance of pulling it off than a kid with no experience on a motorcycle who buys the hottest new crotch-rocket and rides off on it. In all his earlier adventures during the movie, in his efforts to show that he has no need for other people or things, he gets in trouble and is bailed out by what: other people. In his final adventure, there was nobody to bail him out. There are a lot of things he could have done if he really wanted to spend the winter in the Alaskan wilderness. He could have saved a few thousand of the money he gave away and enrolled in a National Outdoor Leadership Survival Course for a few months. He would have thoroughly enjoyed the course and would have had a good chance of survival. But that would have been the rational thing to do. Krakauer seems fascinated by unprepared people who head into the wilderness with disasterous consequences. That was also the theme of Into Thin Air, which deals with a group of people who had no business trying to climb Everest, but had the money to buy the best guides, but that wasn't enough to save their lives. Sort of the opposite of McCandless, really. A group of apparently sane, successful people, certainly fit and experienced in climbing lesser mountains than Everest. They just needed to be told "No, you're not ready yet," but their guides saw dollar signs and led them on. Link to comment
Selden Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Haven't read the book, but did see the movie. Very thought provoking. In particular, it got me wondering about the fine line between a free spirit and mental illness. And, I felt particularly bad for McCandless' sister. Free spirit/mentally ill was one of the more interesting ambiguities of the book that was translated very well to the film. What didn't make it into the film was Krakauer's description of his own foolhardy attempted solo climb of the northwest face of the Devil's Thumb when he was roughly the same age as McCandless. Krakauer had just as much chance of dying, but the dice rolled the other way for him. Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Phil, If you get some time, read the book. I haven't seen the movie yet, but if it was half as good as the book, you will be in for a treat! Cheers, Steve in So Cal Link to comment
Doppelganger Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 If you liked "Into Thin Air", I strongly suggest you read Anatoli Boukreev's book "The Climb" http://www.amazon.com/Climb-Anatoli-Boukreev/dp/0312206372/ref=pd_bbs_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232408121&sr=8-7 Link to comment
Boone60 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Haven't read the book, but did see the movie. Very thought provoking. In particular, it got me wondering about the fine line between a free spirit and mental illness. And, I felt particularly bad for McCandless' sister. I read the book recognizing many similarities in how Chris lived, and how my free spirited, but mentally ill wife did. She also passed on young, the disease destroying her with me unable to intercede. Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 When you're done with that one, try Sweetland I posted Sweetland here several months ago; agreed, it was a great movie. Will look up "Into the Wild" soon. Thanks for the recommendation. Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 When you're done with that one, try Sweetland I posted Sweetland here several months ago; agreed, it was a great movie. Will look up "Into the Wild" soon. Thanks for the recommendation. It was from your recommendation that Jamie and I saw it. Good stuff! Link to comment
Bud Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Sweetland was great. It is hard to find good movies to watch. Nancy and I don't like blood and guts shoot em up stuff no matter how well done. Link to comment
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