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I just saw the latest film by Sean Penn this weekend. It was such an important personal experience for me. INTO THE WILD, based on a book by Jon Krakauer, is the story of Christopher McCandless and his post college journey into the West and ultimately, the North. His adventure has a purpose and his story is told throughout the film by his sister's voice and sometimes entrees into a diary he keeps.
I was really drawn in by the story and locations so intensely, I can't wait to follow the story for real on some of my own travels around California, Utah, New Mexico and Alaska. It was interesting to me that the main character didn't seem to concerned with his safety, as I would be. That was really the root of this story. It would end, for him, in its own way. Much like the kayaking voyage he took through the rapids of the Colorado River-if that was going to kill him, that would have been the end of the story. Some of the people he met along the way understood him and his past without knowing much about him. His meeting with the rubber-necks (tire-bound-tavelers) was one of my favorite parts of the movie. |
Catherine Keener (The 40 Year Old Virgin) has so much going for her, I can't wait to see her next project. She has a lot of great credits to her name on IMDb.com, one I'm planning to check out tonight is a Seinfeld episode called "The Letter". I had a crush on her in The 40 Year Old Virgin, but really fell in love with her in "Into The Wild". I also loved Hal Holbrook's character. His back-story was meaningful and I felt so sorry for him. For all the different people Christopher met, Hal's advise and lessons would be the most important ones in the end. Sean Penn has a great eye for film. I think he brings out a strength in the characters that makes you want to know more about them. From what I understand, Penn likes to have the camera in his hands a lot too. That kind of spirit seems to have paid off for him in this masterpiece of American cinema.
Cast
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