Starring: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay, Harden, William Hurt, Vince Vaughn, Hal Holbrook
Director: Sean Penn
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Production Year: 2007
Media Year: March 4, 2008
Rating: R
Length: 148 minutes
Movie 
One summer a book sat on the table at my family’s cottage in Northern Ontario. It was a true account of a young man who disappeared and subsequently died somewhere in Alaska. Apparently he had been surviving alone in an old abandoned bus but kept detailed records of his activities.
It was just a short, tragic news piece back in the early 90s. Not much else was known until Jon Krakauer wrote Into the Wild, the book that accompanied my morning coffees one summer.
The Golden Globe winning film was directed by Sean Penn who also wrote the screenplay. It’s the story of the final years in the life of Christopher McCandelss. The film starts with his graduation as a top student and athlete from Emory University. Then he abruptly disappears from his family. He begins an idealistic journey by giving his $24,000 savings account to OXFAM and then burning all the money in his wallet.
The story turns into a road movie that flashes back from his ill-fated Alaskan adventure to the events leading up to his resolution to disappear from society. McCandless has concluded that our society is sick and goes on a quest. In the film McCandless gives us a quote by Thoreau that would sum up his journey.
“Rather than Love, than Money, than Fame, give me Truth.” – Henry David Thoreau
The motivations may remind you of Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye. There are elements of McCandless reasoning we may all identify with and we may even admire his courage and recklessness. Who hasn’t fantasized about uprooting themselves and leaving civilization completely? For most of us, fear of hardship is stronger than the journey’s seduction.
Although it’s a sad tale, sobering and tragic in the end don’t expect a complete downer. There are several lighter moments and the bulk of the film is about McCandless and his quest for fun, for living in the moment. Ironically, for someone who wants to be ultimately alone, he’s a very social young man and the film is filled with colorful, well cast characters.
We’ll meet Ron Franz (Al Holbrook) a lonely retired veteran with a leather-shop who will eventually learn to push himself to climb a hill. Holbrook earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his part.
We also meet a Midwest farmer, Wayne Westerberg (Vince Vaughn) who introduces McCandless to the
work hard, play hard ethic of modern farming. Vaughn shows us he can play more than just a funnyman but still gives us a bit of needed levity.
Into the Wild stars Emile Hirsch who is made into such a close likeness of McCandless it’s a bit scary. Hirsch demonstrated athletic commitment to the movie by shedding almost 40lbs for the movie’s final scenes.
Penn insisted that real locations across America be painstakingly shot for the sake of realism and atmosphere. Some of the smaller roles are played by people who actually reside at several of the locations McCandless traveled. This includes a character named Insane Wayne from Slab City, Sean Penn actually got him out of jail to perform his role. Leonard is the creator/curator of one of the most unusual roadside exhibits you’ll see in the California desert, a lifelong dedication to the power of Love and God.
The result is a landmark in storytelling. Things We Lost in the Fire and Into the Wild are to be the final HD DVD releases for Paramount.
Audio
Dolby Digital Plus 5.1
What the soundtrack lacks in car crashes and rocket propelled grenade explosions it makes up for in music. The Into the Wild soundtrack was performed by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame. Vedder’s music prominently displayed throughout the movie at several key points. Vedder’s acoustic chords and heavy baritone voice strikes a folksy mood that accompanies scenes depicting America’s breathtaking natural beauty.
Like many good road movies before it (Easy Rider comes to mind) the soundtrack will take center stage, playing a role almost as important as the film’s dialogue.
If you’re not a fan of Pearl Jam, don’t worry, you’re not going to be socked between the eyes with Jeremy. But if you appreciate Vedder it’s another successful turn in his varied career. Pearl Jam is no stranger to the movie’s themes of disaffected youth with issues involving relating to parents and society. It’s my opinion that Vedder was a perfect choice.
Video
2.35:1, 1080P/VC-1
While not perfect the video presented in Into the Wild is a clean presentation of 1080P. I could see very few scenes with visible grain. Great care was taken in the films panoramic sequences involving landscapes that range from desert to the Colorado River to Alaska’s snowcapped mountains. Into the Wild shows us how far Paramount had come converting film to VC-1, HD DVD and it’s a shame to see it go, especially to anyone who invested in a pricey HD DVD player.
Features 
Two quality featurettes grace the HD DVD. Only “The Experience” is offered in HD resolution, The Story, The Characters is letterboxed SD. But the content both offer are good quality offering behind-the-scenes insights into the fascinating story and the making of the film. That this is a true story involving a family that had to give their permission to make this film, Penn offers a lot of unique insights into his dealings with rather sensitive issues. I came away with more respect for Penn than I had in recent years.
Fans of director’s commentary will be disappointed in the lean special feature offerings on this one.
• The Story, The Characters: 21:53, standard def 4:3
• The Experience: 17:19
• Theatrical Trailers 
Overall
It’s no showcase for your home theater system. It doesn’t boast award winning CGI graphics or surround effects. But it’s a natural beauty. The film lets shots of some of the most beautiful vistas in America tell much of the tale and in that it’s a rare film.
I watched it twice since getting my hands on the movie before the weekend. I’ll probably watch it one more time soon with another group of friends before I put it away for awhile.
Although the story is touching it’s neither moody nor preachy. If there is one lesson Chris McCandless can teach us from his short life it’s about living in the moment. The story’s main ingredient is fun and a childlike excitement with life.
While it may not appeal to everyone, it’s definitely a worthy rental. The special features are light but worthy of viewing. So if you rent it, take a look at the special features. You may find yourself wanting to watch the movie again.