Penn's masterpiece; Oscar worthy turns by Hirsch & Holbrook make an indelible journey all the more memorable

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2007)

INTO THE WILD (2007) **** Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook, Brian Dierker. Sean Penn puts his heart and soul into this ambitious adaptation of Jon Krakauer's best seller based on the true life account of 22 year old Christopher McCandless (Hirsch in the performance of his career), who decides to shirk society and his family's troubled worlds by heading out into the American heartland with a determination to live off the grid en route to his goal: Alaska. Along the journey he will find some unlikely supporters including a fun-loving employer (Vaughn); a couple of hippies (Keener and Dierker); a possible soul mate (the beguiling Stewart) and a father-figure (Holbrook in an Oscar worthy memorable supporting performance that is a textbook example of fine acting)  all providing insight for the trip ahead. Penn wisely employs the picturesque sights with Eric Gautier's lush cinematography and the dead-on songbook of Eddie Vedder underscoring the beautifully rendered performance by Hirsch making an indelible impression to a heart strong young man whose unique trek in life proved to be his fate.