Claim: Laura Dern is in Wild.

Wild is a 2014 American biographical survival drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée . The screenplay by Nick Hornby is based on Cheryl Strayed 's 2012 memoir Wild : From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail . The film stars Reese Witherspoon as Strayed , alongside Laura Dern -LRB- as Strayed 's mother -RRB- , with Thomas Sadoski , Michiel Huisman and Gaby Hoffmann among several others in supporting roles . The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 29 , 2014 , and was released theatrically on December 3 , 2014 , in North America .   Wild opened to positive critical reviews , with much praise going toward the performances of Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern . Both actresses received Academy Award nominations for their performances , in the categories of Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress , respectively .