A Selfish Quest for Truth

Rating: 9/10 (12 November 2007)

Sean Penn's film "Into the Wild" was based on true events and will haunt viewers long after the final credits fade to black. A recent college graduate, disillusioned by his parents' materialism and duplicity, Christopher McCandless heads off on a meandering journey with the goal of eventually reaching Alaska. Once he has "disappeared" by abandoning his car, burning his money, and erasing his identity, the young man wanders the American west in search of himself. The ensuing road movie details the various encounters that he has over the months and years of his journey of discovery. Although Christopher has lost faith in human relationships, he meets and seemingly bonds with a number of people, all of whom take to the engaging, often charming, young man and try to help him. However, he unsentimentally severs his bonds with each, although they apparently have developed feelings and care for him. Rejecting friendship, Christopher seemingly has no romantic feelings or sexual desires either, and he rejects the one overture that is explicitly made.
McCandless's wanderings eventually take him to the Alaskan wilderness where he takes shelter in an abandoned bus and manages to survive on fish and game. The film flashes back and forth between his time in the bus and earlier episodes. The words of his diary are quoted throughout the film, and his eventual realization that there is little joy in life without sharing it with someone comes too late. Emile Hirsch fills the physically demanding role of Christopher and plays it exceptionally well. Among the people Christopher encounters, Catherine Keener and Hal Holbrook stand out as a mature earth mother and a lonely widower, respectively.
"Into the Wild" was made with the cooperation of the McCandless family, who were brave to have exposed themselves and their feelings so publicly. Well played by William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden, the parents emerge as typical appearance-obsessed Americans who cannot understand their son and mourn and grieve at his alienation and absence. They are not villains, and the son's actions wreak more pain on his family than they ever deserved or inflicted on him. In fact, the young man leaves much pain behind him in his ultimately selfish journey. Not only do his parents and sister suffer, but a young girl, an old retired widower, and a generous middle-aged hippie couple all fall victim to his charms and eventual abandonment. Although Christopher seems convinced that he is on a noble quest, there is nothing noble about inflicting unwarranted pain on those who love you. The words of his final realization and the images that end the film will be etched indelibly in viewers' minds. With both the screenplay and direction to his credit, Sean Penn has fashioned an outstanding adaptation of Jon Krakauer's book and has moved beyond "promising" to "accomplished" status in both roles.