Sean Penn takes us "Into the Wild"

Rating: 8/10 (1 January 2009)

"Into the Wild" concerns recent university graduate Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) and the path he treads when he goes out 'into the wild' to escape the grasp of his parents and their world. The film is based on a true story, which is something that I didn't realize until the end of the film.
The film-makers did a fine job of assembling a worthy cast. Hal Holbrook nabbed the film's only Oscar nomination for acting and it's hard to argue with that distinction. The rest of the supporting cast is solid and Emile Hirsch does a fine job in the lead role.
Sean Penn's directorial choices were thoughtful though I could have done without some of the narration and overly indulgent visuals. The editing garnered the film its second of two Oscar nominations but I didn't see it as a strong suit. The film should have gotten some Oscar notice for the Eddie Vedder score as well, but it was ruled ineligible on the grounds that it was too 'song-based'.
As for the story, it slowly draws you in and allows you to get to know Christopher McCandless - both his virtues and his faults. The two and a half hour running time might have benefited from a little trimming but this is not the sort of film that will engage those with short attention spans anyways.
Ultimately, this film proves to be a worthwhile drama that is composed of equal parts road film and character study. If that sounds appealing to you, by all means check it out.