WILD

I liked this movie way more than i thought i would. I was prejudiced against it because she didn't complete the PCT and i didn't particularly care for her in my attempts to read the book. But Reese Witherspoon was very very good in this role.

The film is the story of Cheryl who decides to go on a long distance backpacking trip to get "her head together" and recover from her continuing grief over the death of her mother (Laura Dern) and a foray into heroin and an unwanted pregnancy and promiscuity and a divorce after 7 years of marriage.

The best parts were the trail segments which fortunately was the bulk of the movie. It really portrayed all the joys and pains and inconveniences of the trail; was a very accurate picture. and the scenery was amazing both the mountains and canyons but also the meadows and the continual rain in the Mt. Hood National Forest. And her encounters with other hikers or people along the trail was done extremely well.  The only jarring note in this was the blatant REI plug; not a subtle mention, not a passing glimpse of the  REI box which contained her new boots but something you would hear if you were watching an actual commercial.

I couldn't emotionally connect with her past angst and sorrow because the flashbacks were done in such a speed of light MTV fashion. Nothing was dwelled on for very long.

And the ending, naturally, was the completion of her trip at the Bridge of the Gods from Oregon to Washington. The last shot was Cheryl (Witherspoon) standing on the bridge mouthing psychological pop phrases of recovery and growth and enlightenment. I had trouble understanding just HOW all this hiking led to these insights.

However, in spite of all these bitches, it was a highly enjoyable and entertaining movie. Bill gave it an 8 and I gave it a 7. an 8.5 for the hiking sequences.