Into the Wild | 
| Director: Sean Penn
Actors: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.99
Buy Used: $2.49
You Save: $17.50 (88%)
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Rating:  288 reviews
Sales Rank: 504
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 148 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 348124
UPC: 097363481249
EAN: 0097363481249
ASIN: B000ZN802W
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: March 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Movie DVD
Amazon.com
A superb cast and an even-handed treatment of a true story buoy Into the Wild, Sean Penn's screen adaptation of Jon Krakauer's bestselling book. Emile Hirsch stars as Christopher McCandless, scion of a prosperous but troubled family who, after graduating from Atlanta's Emory University in the early 1990s, decides to chuck it all and become a self-styled "aesthetic voyager" in search of "ultimate freedom." He certainly doesn't do it halfway: after donating his substantial savings account to charity and literally torching the rest of his cash, McCandless changes his name (to "Alexander Supertramp"), abandons his family (William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden as his bickering, clueless parents and Jena Malone as his baffled but loving sister, who relates much of the backstory in voice-over), and hits the road, bound for the Alaskan bush and determined not to be found. For the next two years he lives the life of a vagabond, working a few odd jobs, kayaking through the Grand Canyon into Mexico, landing on L.A.'s Skid Row, and turning his back on everyone who tried to befriends him (including Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker as two kindly, middle-aged hippies and Hal Holbrook in a deeply affecting performance as an old widower who tries to take "Alex" under his wing). Penn, who directed and wrote the screenplay, alternates these interludes with scenes depicting McCandless' Alaskan idyll--which soon turns out be not so idyllic after all. Settling into an abandoned school bus, he manages to sustain himself for a while, shooting small game (and one very large moose), reading, and recording his existential musings on paper. But when the harsh realities of life in the wilderness set in, our boy finds himself well out of his depth, not just ill-prepared for the rigors of day to day survival but realizing the importance of the very thing he wanted to escape--namely, human relationships. It'd be easy to either idealize McCandless as a genuinely free spirit, unencumbered by the societal strictures that tie the rest of us down, or else dismiss him as a hopelessly callow naif, a fool whose disdain for practical realities ultimately doomed him. Into the Wild does neither, for the most part telling the tale with an admirable lack of cheap sentiment and leaving us to decide for ourselves. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 283 more reviews...
 My Review June 30, 2009
Stevie N. Stevens (Brooklyn, NY USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This copy of Into The Wild is a great copy and it is a good movie.
Poignant adventure story June 27, 2009
Kona (Emerald City)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
When Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch) graduated from college, he had one goal in life - to finally break away from his unhappy family and the constraints of society in general and live off the land in Alaska. The film flashes back and forth between Chris' adventure in Alaska and the months leading up to it, focusing on the people who befriended him, including an aging hippie couple and a lonely, old man (well-played by the venerable Hal Holbrook).
Based on a true story and narrated with many of Chris' journal entries, the film is an emotional roller coaster; I was torn between admiring his youthful idealism and courage and hating him for the pain he inflicted on his family. The movie feels much like a documentary as it follows Chris hitchhiking and working his way across the country and then surviving, at first quite well, in Alaska.
Emile Hirsch is well-cast as Chris and makes you care about him right from the start. He did all of his demanding stunts himself and even lost 40 pounds to play the ailing Chris. It is a very touching story. Surrounded by the splendor of the wilderness but ultimately alone, Chris finally understood that happiness is only real when it is shared. Highly recommended.
 Maybe worth a spin on cable. June 24, 2009
Frank Rizzo (Dallas, TX)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to get that hasn't been put forward more eloquently, clearly, and deeply in so many other works. This film was actually a little hard for me to watch. Alex's relationship with his parents, seemingly the catalyst of his transformation, was hamfisted and forced; I just didn't understand it. Hirsch's performance, while obviously earnest and eager, comes across only as that and not much else. He looks like a kid trying too hard to imitate a new age hippie hobo. His jittery/spastic behavior and wide eyed proclamations reveal none of the depth and soulfullness that was seemingly intended. I'm supposed to think that Alex is an old soul, and I don't see that. I'm really starting to think we've lowered the bar on what we deem deserving of high praise. We're becoming a bunch of superlative adjective spitting automatons, heaping praise on everything and anything that has Oscar buzz, and especially if there is some tragic element involved. Movies about or staring a youth taken from us too early can also be bad movies.
 Good Movie, But You Must Read the Book! June 24, 2009
Mark from Minnesota (Minnesota)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I initially had every intention of never seeing this movie after reading Jon Krakauer's excellent book of the same title. The fact it was a Hollywood production directed by the repulsive Penn made me want to barf. That said it was a good movie, very well done, even if it distorts the story to make a better movie which is what all wide release movies pretty much have to do to make a buck.
Before you ever think of ordering the DVD, buy the book and read it a couple of times. Then read some of Krakauer's other works and other authors' books on mountaineering and adventuring. You'll get the impression that many extreme adventurers are trying to fill in some empty parts of their soul through challenging the elements, and many freely admit to as much. There's nothing wrong with that, sometimes they are able to find peace of mind through their travels, other times not.
This movie does not delve into this aspect of the story, which is good business because that would get pretty complicated and overshadow the McCandless personal story. This movie is more of eulogy to the young man, which is fine, but you really need to look further to understand the important points Krakauer was trying to make in the book.
So if you've read the book, the movie works great to personify the enigmatic McCandless and adds compelling visuals and narrative to his intriguing story. If you have not read the book I think it would seem a little confusing and you would end up wondering why someone so naive has a big budget movie made about him.
The story of McCandless is not all that unique, Krakauer points out in the book. Many young men have made similar risky treks in search of some sort of truth they felt was not realizable in ordinary civilization. What is unique is the fact Krakauer spent a lot of time and effort investigating and trying to place into context this young man's actions, relationships (or lack thereof) and motivations.
Since he was a somewhat dysfunctional adventurer himself, Krakauer is able to lend an authenticity to his narrative that Hollywood cannot. So while Penn did a fine job of running the story through the Hollywood production process, you do lose some of the most crucial insights of the book.
Also, Penn cannot resist foisting his politics very awkwardly into the film... let's pan to photo of George Bush before the encounter with the bureaucratic park ranger, we all know he was responsible for making the crazy rules about running the Colorado river. Similarly have McCandless glance at the TV and watch Bush talk about the first Gulf War, that must have been part of what drove him to abandon his family. What a load of BS! Fortunately those are some of the worst offenses I could find and other parts such as the touching encounters with the old man who built Salvation Mountain and the reflections of Ron Franz pretty much make up for them.
Anyway, I would say the DVD is only worth owning if you already own the book. I don't think it can stand on its own merit, but rather makes a nice complementary piece. Especially given the good acting and cinematography... having Alaska to work with as a back drop helps a lot!
Excellent Movie! At story well told. June 21, 2009
Dear Miss Mermaid (Virgin Islands, Caribbean)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I loved the movie. It was excellent and seemed to be truthful without the hollow-woody sometimes interjected into true movies. Even when he got beat up by the Rail Road Detective, I was scared from him, because I have heard of that evil man before, how he beats hobos to death, but luckily our character was spared that dismal fate.
For those of you that feel stuck in a rut, WATCH this movie, then get out and enjoy life. I've lead a wild life through the Caribbean as written in my book "Hurricanes & Hangovers" by Dear Miss Mermaid and it was the best thing I ever did, was take off for the Caribbean when everyone else said "No! You must be miserable like us! How dare you run off and have fun!"
I enjoyed the brief part about Slab City, another place that fascinates me! Great film, excellent scenery, very good acting.
A high five on this movie!
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