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Penn Delivers on True Story |
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Written by STEVIE STYLES
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Wednesday, 05 March 2008 |
Into the Wild, is a Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominated film, based on a novel about the true and tragic adventures of Christopher McCandless. Christopher is a top notch student at Emory University, who after graduating decides to give up his entire savings account of $24,000 to Oxfam (an organization that’s goal is to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice around the world). From there, he heads to Alaska by car and later by hitchhiking to live in the wilderness. Into the Wild is a fascinating story about discovery, innocences of youth, and the exploration of finding the truth of whom you are and where you fit in the world.
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Into The Wild
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 Entertainment
 Art
 Special Features
Directed by Sean Penn
Written by Jon Krakauer with a screenplay by Sean Penn
Starring Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian Dierker, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Hal Holbrook
Rated R
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Taking the directing chair for the fourth time, Sean Penn takes the helm for his most critically claimed film yet, bringing along plenty of friends for help. For a low budget film, the cast includes Oscar nominees and winners like William Hurt, Catherine Keener and Hal Holbrook (who was nominated for his role in this film). Add Grammy award winner and lead singer of Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder, who supplied the score for the film, and you have a wealth of talent behind this intriguing yet tragic tale.
Unlike the book, the story has a linear structure and is narrated by Christopher’s own writings, with a portion narrated by his younger sister Carine. The book, relies on interviews and has a more documentary vibe then this more tradition theatrical route. Still, both give an in-depth look into the complex character of Christopher McCandless, and his journey of discovery.
The film was released late last year to a very limited release and was treated like an art film. So if you missed it or if it never came to you city never fear, a two-disc set has just been released on DVD. This collector’s edition includes the feature film and two documentaries. The first one entitled “The Story, The Characters” looks at how Sean Penn brought the novel to the big screen. The second called “The Experience” looks at the actual filming. Both serve to give you a little more on what goes on to get a film from the page to the screen. They are both descent little featurettes but feel a little flimsy when it comes down to a true story. The story was also recently made into a documentary “The Call of the Wild” by Ron Lamothe and perhaps that would have been a nice addition to a DVD collection that’s called, a “collector’s edtion”. Although there are stories that Penn and Lamothe had run-ins when the both of them were making their films and could be why neither are sold together or as companion pieces.
Into the Wild is a story about a free-spirit looking for answers in the world. Christopher McCandless’s story is both tragic and maybe even heroic, but all the time fascinating. Either way you look at it, Christopher was a young soul that’s flame blew out way too soon. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
