Wild

I am really surprised at all of the negative reviews here. But then I remember, this is IMDb. Enough said there. I enjoyed this movie very much. I don't think it was anything more than the story of one woman trying to find a way to move forward. This movie is not a political statement about feminism. This is ONE woman's story of regret, healing, and ultimately about forgiving herself so that she could move forward. Is this movie boring? Only if you need CGI and superheroes to call it "exciting." Do people do really adventurous things like taking off alone on a thousand mile trek on foot? Yeah, they do. And most of them actually survive. People have been surviving for thousands of years by striking out on their own without any previous experience or "training." Many years ago I did something very similar to what this woman did in the Sierra Nevadas. Looking back now I know I must have been crazy to do something so unplanned. But it was something I felt I had to do and was also stemmed from a tragic loss. I thought Reese was very believable in this role. The constant flashbacks that seemed to bother all the other reviewers did not bother me in the least. The flashbacks were the unfolding of her life taken in little pieces and in sync with the memories that were ignited within her on her journey. So contrary to the other reviewers, I liked this movie! The soundtrack was right on target with what was happening in each scene. The scenery was stunning, but of course it would be if you've ever been in the area. On foot. I happily gave this movie a rating of 7 out of 10.

Wild has a really intriguing premise, the idea of a solo hike does it for me but I was wary that the movie lasted over 100min. What could possibly be entertaining about a women hiking alone from the Mexican border to the Canadian Border? As it turns out quite a lot.

At first, it's hard to understand Cheryl, she definitely does not strike you as a someone who could do this. She bit off more than she can shew, it's clearly naive of her. But as Cheryl is struggling on her hike flashbacks of her life before the Pacific Crest Trails are peppered throughout the movie and like anyone you're getting to know she starts to make sense. You get to understand what she's been through, who she is, and what motivated her to do this. It's a challenge that she brought on herself for herself, something she needed.

And just like that a 115 minutes passes, during which you were taken on physical and soul searching journey with amazing landscapes, and a flawed but strong woman. Reese Witherspoon carries that film beautifully, she layered her performance with sensibility and a quiet strength that suited the character. I didn't totally relate to Cheryl but I wasn't completely impervious to her ordeal, I also have dreams and life-goals to achieve.

On a side note, it was recently pointed out to me I had never seen Wild as the female lead version of Into The Wild. I've never finished Sean Penn & Emile Hirsh's hiking movie but from what I remember Into The Wild was much more wild and raw the dude wasn't on a hiking trail but in the wilderness. These two movies only compare in the drives these two characters have to undertake their journey.

Wild is a beautiful movie about personal growth and living in one's truth. @wornoutspines

Realistic performance of Reese Witherspoon. An history about the life as it is. A movie to watch and review in your mind later. I like drama movies that you suffer as you are watching but give you things to think later, this is this type of movie. Wild is a one-character movie but the little pieces of the secondary characters are so well introduced that allows to introduce drama, fear, suspense and romanticism to the history. If I need to say something wrong about the movie is that in some passages there is lack of continuity and feels as if the movie was longer at the beginning and the director need to cut it to do it shorter.

A wonderful performance from Reese Witherspoon anchors this very good film about a troubled young woman who embarks on a miles-long hike as a sort of personal therapy to deal with the downward spiral of her life in the wake of her mother's (Laura Dern) death. Witherspoon reminds everyone what a good actress she is; I haven't been this impressed by her as an actress since "Election" way back in 1999 (and that includes her overrated Oscar-winning performance in "Walk the Line"). And it's nice to see Laura Dern again, who's popped up here and there over the past many years but has mostly been absent from the movie scene. The movie's editor deftly integrates flashbacks of Dern and Witherspoon together with the character's hike through the wild, and avoids the monotony that usually plagues films when structured this way.

One of the minor miracles of "Wild" is how subtly it explores not just the trials and dangers one would encounter in such a hike, but specifically how those trials and dangers are heightened, or at least are of a different nature, for a woman. Only once in the film is it overtly addressed, but before that scene late in the film, the director and Witherspoon have already conveyed without words how perilous such an adventure could be for a young woman, for whom every encounter with a strange man carries with it the possibility of sexual predation, even if it doesn't materialize (which, the film acknowledges, in most cases it doesn't). At the same time, the film restores one's faith a little bit in humanity, suggesting that most people are decent and kind and willing to help, no strings attached.

Witherspoon and Dern were both justly Oscar nominated for their performances, and the gorgeous Pacific West scenery deserved an award of its own.

Grade: A

Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern got well deserved Oscar nominations for their roles in this film. In fact, I cannot fathom how Witherspoon was denied a win.

I won't fall into the trap of comparing this film to the book. The book was the best one I read last year, and I thought it unfilmable. I was surprised at how well the film managed to capture the essential elements of the book.

The key was not the Pacific Coast Trail, but Cheryl Strayed's journey into self-discovery. The point where she fell to her knees in tears was the culmination of pain in her life, and the realization of her love for her mother.

This is definitely a film to watch more than once.