great adaptation

Rating: 9/10 (17 February 2008)

Beautiful film which captures the spirit of the book. Sean Penn's direction deserved an Academy Award nomination as did Emile Hirsch's remarkable performance.
The cinematography is first-rate & the soundtrack with Eddie Vedder is a perfect match. My only advice to read the book before seeing the film, as each stands on its own. Mr. Penn is a great director who is capable of getting the best out of the entire cast. Every actor seems very real throughout & Emile Hirsch brings to life Chris Mccandless's wanderlust.
Mccandless comes from a seemingly perfect family whose secrets are the reason for the escape away from society that he chooses. He will find out that no matter how far you travel, the problems remain. This is a very sad but compelling drama about a search for the meaning of life, without being overly simplistic.