Into the Wild: What Did It All Prove?

Rating: 3/10 (22 April 2016)

Screenplay writer and director of Into the Wild, Sean Penn, has been quoted as having the following to say about Terence Malick's 2011 film "The Tree Of Life"... "The screenplay is the most magnificent one I've ever read but I couldn't find that same emotion on screen, a more conventional narrative would have helped the film". This maybe quite so, but perhaps similar could also be said of his film. As with Malick, Penn extends his subject material till it reaches breaking point and becomes tedious.
One of the biggest problems for the subject in this case, is Christopher McCandless, a top Emory Uni student who in a moment of teen angst gives away all his savings, leaves his family without even a word of goodbye and heads out into the dangerous wilds towards Alaska. Sadly, this in itself is immaturity at the height of its ignorance. He's fleeing from parents who seem to disagree between themselves (as seen from the viewpoint of his youthful inexperience of marital problems), they don't understand him (but support his everyday existence needs) and a sister he is supposed to care very much for.
Christopher foolishly casts his only remaining money into a fire, then blindly stumbles from one bad situation to the next - eventually having to take jobs with fast food outlets in several failed attempts to support himself. This all goes on interminably for 2 1/2 Hrs. While the landscapes are handsomely captured by documentary photographer Eric Gautier (this feature would have actually been better suited to a 1 Hr TV documentary), it rambles on until our hapless traveler manages to kill himself eating poisonous berries.
There are the customary message songs of troubled youth to pad out the moments lacking in solid story. Sadly these songs tend to sound a little tired and lacking conviction. This is not entirely surprising, as talented singer songwriter Eddie Vedder, had earlier written a song called 'Jeremy' about the foolishness of running from your problems and killing yourself instead of standing up and changing things! Wise words. In the performance stakes, Hal Holbrook fares best as a caring, aged widower who befriends Christopher (who in turn proceeds to lecture the old man about getting more out of his life). Today's youth sure do get a bellyful of life long experience at an incredibly early age! The reliable William Hurt looks very well preserved as Chris's Dad.
Christopher, ultimately destroyed his family, along with all the positive things he could have contributed to by living. I, like many, also left home, went through all this desperate youthful searching but figured it's better to come out on the other side and contribute to bettering life one way or other. Yes, it's a sad situation but now Mr Penn wants us to spend hours feeling sorry for this wasted foolishness.
It's somehow difficult to appreciate the accolades dished out to this work by the Academy and some critics who, on a closer look, probably should know better. From the look of numerous other viewer comments, appears I may not be alone.