2008 Woodie Awards
Penn masterfully directs Into the Wild
Matthew Howard
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: Life!
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For ten years Sean Penn has been trying to adapt Jon Krakauer's best seller, Into the Wild for the big screen. For ten years the parents of Christopher Johnson McCandless refused to sign off on the project. The world should be thankful for the McCandless' eventual support, because without it, we would not be able to experience this beautiful, wrenching and emotional tale.
Sean Penn, making his forth directorial effort, masterfully tells the story of Chris McCandless. Chris, portrayed remarkably well by Emile Hirsh (The Girl Next Door), literally burns his life savings, leaves his current life behind and heads out west. What he is searching for is unknown to the viewer, and maybe even to himself.
Into the Wild is told in a series of flashbacks. The story begins at Chris' college graduation and we see that he is not happy with his current lifestyle. As the film progresses, we become aware that Chris runs from his parents' abusive and violent relationship.
On his journey, Chris crosses paths with many different characters, and touches their lives in unique ways. Some of the people Chris meets are hippies played by Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker, a farmer played by Vince Vaughn and a lonely old man named Ron Franz.
Hal Holbrook makes his much overdue return to the big screen as the lonely old man. It is possible that the short amount of time Holbrook spends on screen evokes the majority of emotion that the film produces. Holbrook gives one of the most memorable supporting performances of the last decade and for that, will earn many best supporting-actor nominations.
What makes this movie so special is how Penn tells the story. He uses very little dialogue for a two and a half hour movie.
Instead, he utilizes stunning visuals of landscape and the mysterious and soothing soundtrack, voiced by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, to guide us through Chris' journey. In some ways, the landscape and music become characters themselves.
Unfortunately, due to the length, subject matter and limited release of Into the Wild it will not gross much money at the box office.
But those who have the opportunity to see this uncompromising, unsettling and uniquely satisfying movie will come away with the understanding that life is short, and we should make the most of it,through love, forgiveness and understanding. This is definitely a movie worth seeing.
Sean Penn, making his forth directorial effort, masterfully tells the story of Chris McCandless. Chris, portrayed remarkably well by Emile Hirsh (The Girl Next Door), literally burns his life savings, leaves his current life behind and heads out west. What he is searching for is unknown to the viewer, and maybe even to himself.
Into the Wild is told in a series of flashbacks. The story begins at Chris' college graduation and we see that he is not happy with his current lifestyle. As the film progresses, we become aware that Chris runs from his parents' abusive and violent relationship.
On his journey, Chris crosses paths with many different characters, and touches their lives in unique ways. Some of the people Chris meets are hippies played by Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker, a farmer played by Vince Vaughn and a lonely old man named Ron Franz.
Hal Holbrook makes his much overdue return to the big screen as the lonely old man. It is possible that the short amount of time Holbrook spends on screen evokes the majority of emotion that the film produces. Holbrook gives one of the most memorable supporting performances of the last decade and for that, will earn many best supporting-actor nominations.
What makes this movie so special is how Penn tells the story. He uses very little dialogue for a two and a half hour movie.
Instead, he utilizes stunning visuals of landscape and the mysterious and soothing soundtrack, voiced by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, to guide us through Chris' journey. In some ways, the landscape and music become characters themselves.
Unfortunately, due to the length, subject matter and limited release of Into the Wild it will not gross much money at the box office.
But those who have the opportunity to see this uncompromising, unsettling and uniquely satisfying movie will come away with the understanding that life is short, and we should make the most of it,through love, forgiveness and understanding. This is definitely a movie worth seeing.