Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment present a 140 minute R rated film directed by Sean Penn and starring Emile Hirsch (Christopher "Alexander Supertramp" McCandless), Marcia Gay Harden (Billie McCandless), William Hurt (Walt McCandless), Jena Malone (Carine McCandless), Brian Dierker (Rainey), Catherine Keener (Jan Burres), Vince Vaughn (Wayne Westerberg), Kristen Stewart (Tracy), Hal Holbrook (Ron Franz) with Haley Ramm (Young Carine), Bryce Walters (Young Chris), Thure Lindhardt (Thomas) and Robin Mathews (Gail Borah).
The story follows the life of a young man, Christopher McCandless, on a life journey to the wilderness of Alaska. After graduating from Emory College he decides not to attend Harvard law school but rather donate $24,000 of his remaining college fund, $24,500.68, to charity. The film tells his story through a series of flashbacks from 1990 to his current destination in 1992 living in a deserted Fairbanks city transit bus in the mountains of Alaska.
No longer to be poisoned, shaped and humiliated by the events that take place in modern day civilization, Chris flees his home, family, identity and overall society to live amongst nature. First traveling by means of his old car, to hitching rides, to leather tramping otherwise known as walking, he ventures cross country and employs a new identity known as Alexander Supertramp. Along his path towards knowledge, self awareness and wisdom he meets many people, all with a story to tell and a lighted spirit that shapes not only Chris but themselves as well.
An educated man of morals he knew he could follow the ways of the world and become another victim to his social upbringings but as the story unfolds over two years he chooses the opposite. The cinematography throughout this magnificently scored film is both beautiful and breath-taking. The symbolisms weaved throughout are thought provoking and filled with reflections upon the lives and actions amongst modern man. Even in the wilderness he cannot escape the reality of civilization when he looks to the blue skies and sees a plane streaking amongst the clouds carrying people from one destination to another.
He discovers that rather than having fame, money or materialistic objects the one thing in life that would mean the most to him is truth. He was never afraid of climbing the steepest hills to get to his reason for living but he was afraid of water until he once again overcame yet another obstacle in reaching his ultimate goal. He encounters two hippies, foreigners, workers, an old lonely man and many others throughout his journey. Changing the way they look at life and themselves and even the way we as an audience watching this film think about our own lives. Since this film was based on a true story it even makes it more relevant to our own thoughts of life and death.
In a journal he writes his chapters about the people, sounds and animals, including every exhausting yet adventurous breath he takes from day one to his last day in Alaska. It follows his days of weight gain when food is plentiful for his hunt to loss when he no longer can find game for a meal. He studies Tolstoy and Walden amongst others reflecting on the way people use judgment, control and other means to obtain their selfish obsessions. He discovers what it is like to be alone and what it is like to be lonely.
He travels from place to place like a rat longing to reach his final destination in the seclusion of the Alaskan wilderness and when he does he discovers that freedom comes with consequences. Sometimes in a persons life it is the pain they experience that brings them closer to the ones around them. When he shoots and butchers a moose he realizes the real tragedy in his life was by killing it. To some, tragedy is no longer being close enough to family no matter biologically or socially.
"If you want something in life reach out and grab it". It may have taken him years but he reached out and grabbed the meaning of life and what happiness truly is. Sometimes it may actually be the opposite of what you search for in this vast world. Sean Penn did a brilliant job directing this lengthy but inspirational film that will have you appreciating the fact that this story was not only achieved but told. Emile Hirsch is truly worthy of an Oscar nod making you feel his inner struggles and ideals of what this character experienced in his true life encounters. One can only hope that as in the final chapter of this story, like Chris a 23 year old living by choice, wisdom is found in our own way of life.
When you forgive you love, when you love, God's light shines on you. Trapped in the wild in his weakest state, on August 18, 1992 Chris discovered the meaning of happiness and you will too after viewing this emotional biography. One life truly does affect another and each one needs to be called by its rightful name. Overall, this film may not be a huge box office success but if you do not experience it, would you see then, what I see now?
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.