An Inspirational Adventure

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2009)

This was truly a great movie. It chronicles the life of Chris Mccandless based on the book with the same name.
As you watch the movie it's as if you follow Chris in his quest to understand the beauty of the world without being part of the world we know. As it goes on parts of his journal that he kept on his travels are read out and analyzed and attached to the meaning of his quest. It's a beautiful perspective on why we live and how to find true untainted happiness simply by being a part of nature and real life, as opposed to the social conditioning we have become used to.
There are parts that will make you think hard about your own life and how you can make yourself happy. In the end however, Chris is on the verge of starving, and he realizes that "happiness is only real when shared". This part nearly brought me to tears. It is an intense moment of self reflection and understanding of one's place in the world. It is in a way a reversal of the initial goal of Chris which is to find happiness away from society, and explains the fact that happiness is in fact created by society.
Sean Penn is a great director. This movie had some of the most beautiful cinematography and landscape scenes I've ever seen. At some points you may be awed by the simple beauty of the earth without even having to understand that this was what Chris wanted.
The acting is magnificent. Emile Hirsch is great, especially towards the end when Chris begins to be paranoid and disillusioned by his hunger. You can feel his joy throughout the movie and understand why he set out on the quest, as well as feel his remorse and pain when he comes to the realization that what he searched for may have been closer than he thought and not in the hills of Alaska or other locations.
Overall, this is a great movie. It is pretty long so you may need to watch it in parts as I did. If you're looking to be inspired and get an additional perspective on the world as well as see some beautiful shots of landscapes, it is definitely worth it.