"If you want something in life...reach out and grab it"

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2013)

Into the Wild is one of the most poignant, tragic, and, at the same time, inspiring movies I have ever seen. If you've ever had a spirit for adventure, or an itch to leave your life and get away from civilization, you'll understand why. Based on the real-life story of Chris McCandless, the film follows this twenty-something-year-old (Emile Hirsch) as he leaves behind his entire life, including his high-strung mother (Marcia Gay Harden), distant father (William Hurt), and loving sister (Jena Malone), as well as a very promising future, to trek across the country. His final goal: to live out a few months in the all-encompassing serenity of the wilderness of Alaska – his "Great Alaskan Odyssey."
Over the course of his adventure, the audience will be both struck down and uplifted, in large part because of the real, human performances of each and every member of the cast. Hirsch's McCandless manifests the idealistic dreamer in all of us, so dedicated to his values and so zeroed in on fulfilling his goal as to inspire anyone watching. At the same time, Hirsch is human, and McCandless's behavioral flaws, like his naivety and irrationality, are not ignored. Harden and Hurt's heartbreaking performances as regretful parents shine through in key moments as well. At one point, Hurt's character, typically the cold, harsh father, sits down in the middle of the road and simply cries, begging for his son to come home. The various characters that McCandless meets along his journey are arguably the most emotional aspects of the movie, if only because of how relatable each of them are. They reflect different shades of humanity that we're all familiar to: those afraid of following their dreams, or dismissive of passion, or so broken they cannot find the will to go on. And each of them is shown a new side of life by McCandless.
The raw, beautiful direction by Sean Penn is also admirable. The interesting dual narrative of McCandless's adventures on the road and McCandless's adventure in Alaska works to the film's advantage, highlighting the growth of his character. The sweeping landscapes of Alaska, in particular, are awe-inspiring; something as simple as wild elk rushing through the snow is enough to bring McCandless, as well as the audience, to tears. The original soundtrack by Eddie Vedder, with his booming voice and acoustic guitar, lend a hand in building this sense of camping, of tramping, of boyhood adventuring that pervades throughout the film. You can really tell that making this movie meant a great deal to Penn, who clearly tapped into his inner boyhood adventurer to create it.
Was Chris McCandless heroic in his pursuit, or was his whole venture a tragic, brash mistake? These are the questions the film leaves you with. Either way, the film will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It was made with such loving detail and direction that it's nearly impossible not to connect with it in some way. Every character reminds you of someone you know; every vista feels pulled straight out of one of your dreams. By no means was McCandless a perfect person, but his eagerness to follow his heart and determination to find pure truth, pure happiness, should serve as an inspiration for anyone to do the same.