Into The Wild

I actually just finished reading the book on the train ride into work today. Sounds like I'll have to see the movie now considering the reviews it's been getting. Like Inky, that's the reason I haven't seen the movie. And I'm still recovering from the clusterfuck that was The DaVinci Code. Great book, terrible movie.

 

I'm hoping the movie just tells the story and let's the viewers decide whether McCandless was a romantic idealist or selfish/foolish.

I know a couple of people who've actually been to "The Bus." They were going to spend the night, but it was just too creepy ... not to mention the realization that grizzly bears are in the area.

 

if you don't see the movie, get the "Into the Wild" soundtrack anyway. It's a great, low-key, beautiful listen. ukelele, banjo, Corin Tucker's unique voice on backup vocals, good guitar work. best originally scored soundtrack I've heard from start to finish in a loooong time - well, 2 songs are covers, but they're so obscure, hack reviewers out there attribute one or both to Eddie Vedder, Tucker.

 

Was just going to post this. Eddie Vedder did pretty much the whole thing, except for one cover song of an artist named Gordon Peterson, who seems to have done an even more thorough vanishing act than McCandless.

 

"Hard Sun" is an Indio cover, too. And dare I say, Vedder/Tucker's version blows the original out of the water.

 

"Hard Sun" is the best track on that album.

 

Of course, in reviews Vedder says they did like 50 takes/remixes on Hard Sun while most of the others he did in no time flat, which makes a handful of the others all the more impressive in my book. you won't hear much prettier stuff with a freekin ukelele.

 

Seriously, this just sounds boring to me. I know of many people who were determined to do foolish and/or self-destructive things in their lives so watching it play on in a book or on a movie screen doesn't really excite me.

I am sure I'm wrong and it's great but I am not investing my time in it.

 

i've yet to see the movie or read the book, but it seems there's a bigger message in the story than a man fleeing to Alaska. wrong?

 

It's really more of a character study than anything. I found the guy interesting, but if that's not enough for you, you might not enoy it.

And Hal Holbrook had damn well better get a supporting actor nomination. He was scrumtrelescent.

 

The book is one of my favorites, and the movie was as good as it could have been, I think -- it's not a match for the book, but it's pretty damn good. And Hirsch and Holbrook really are fantastic. I was thinking Hal is an Oscar lock, and the kid will probably get nominated.

One thing the movie does more powerfully than the book is how well it gets across the pain of McCandless's ultimate end. He must have been really lonely and scared when he zipped up his sleeping bag for the last time.

Another thing -- his parents must have gone through some major reformation afterward. They cooperated with the film, and it makes them appear as ghouls. Maybe they feel like it's their penance.

 

Nice article from National Geographic Adventure about Penn's quest to get the film made: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/news/into-the-wild.html