Not Clear on the Hype, But Not a Bad Film

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2014)

After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
The casting deserves mention. Jena Malone as the sister (and narrator) was the wisest decision made on this film. Malone really needs to be in more films, and this was a shining moment for her. Kristen Stewart, on the other hand, needs to be in fewer films, and it defies logic that she somehow beat others at audition.
Vince Vaughn, Zach Galifianakis and a handful of others bring some star power to this (with all due respect to Emile Hirsch, he is not a household name). Their roles are small but effective. Great job. The Eddie Vedder soundtrack -- do we need two hours of Vedder? No. But we get it just the same.
Although the film gets better as it goes (deeper "in to the wild"), its popularity and high praise are something of a mystery. If anything, it seems to have grown in stature since its first release. Why? While interesting, it never really gets to the meat of its subject. Why rejecting society and civilization was the right decision. Assuming, of course, it was... which is debatable.