Into the Wild

Into the Wild (Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, Jena Malone, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughan) – The best thing about this journey into self-discovery is the cinematography.   The worst thing is the motivation of its main character, Christopher McCandless (Hirsch), who is most interested in ticking his parents off.  Let’s take a step back.  A young, well-educated man eschews an Ivy League law education and his affluent background to hike across the U.S. and explore the wilderness.  His goal is to get to Alaska.  On the way, he sees much of America’s most beautiful country and is helped by some lost souls.  His engaging personality wins over everyone, most notably a hippie couple (played by a fantastic Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker), a not-so-up-and-up South Dakota businessman (a more serious Vince Vaughn) and an old loner (82-year-old Hal Holbrook).  He never communicates again with his family. The cameos by the stars are all fantastic, and Holbrook’s performance is Oscar-worthy (he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor), both because he is pitch-perfect but also for his 40-year body of work (including playing Deep Throat in All the President’s Men).  Together, these off characters provide Chris with the family he feels he never had.  In a story narrated by his sister, played by Jena Malone, child star (Stepmom, For Love of the Game), we watch a rich kid become self-sustaining and more mature.  Emile Hirsch was extraordinary in The Emperor’s Club and he is simply brilliant here, garnering a Best Actor nomination from the Screen Actor’s Guild.  This independent film is worth renting, but make sure you watch the brilliant photography on a video or, when it hits TV, on an HD channel.