Movie #1003 "Wild" is another movie with grief at its core. That being said, the story line is a bit different because it is mostly (about 80%) watching one woman trekking the Pacific Crest Trail , with flashbacks that tell us what got her here. I didn't go into this film thinking I would really like it much, because it doesn't sound exciting to watch, and it's not that I would ever want to do this, so it is far from my interest. But the woman happens to be the very capable (and likable Reese Witherspoon) , and the director is able to do the impossible to me --- sustain my interest to the very end, without me looking at my watch one time (like I know I would in the hobbit movies, sorry!). The flashbacks help --- they are sometimes out of chronological order, which keeps the watcher guessing. The possibility that she might meet some not-so-nice people on the trip keeps up the mystery, as well. And , of course, will she make it? will she survive ?(a big question at the beginning because she isn't much of a seasoned hiker to be doing this) and she is alone! There's a lot to like in the film: scenery, the wolf that keeps appearing (and you wonder if he really exists or if it is mom's spirit), Reese going through a myriad of emotions and struggles on this rite of passage journey to a better place in her life. It's fun to watch Laura Dern as her mom, and she recently received an oscar nod for this part, as well as Reese. And she is usually very capable, but I didn't think it was her best part -- I thought the mom was the least delineated (script wise?) so the whimsical nature of jumping in puddles seem forced to me. But there was one real moment that cinched the character for me. When daughter says how she is much more sophisticated than her mom is , her mom says, "Yes, I knew my daughter would be more sophisticated. I just didn't know it would hurt so much." Whew! a bitter pill for Reese to take. One other thing I didn't like is the extra sex scenes, the nudity of both male and female, that I didn't think was really necessary. Reese usually doesn't do this, so she and the director must have thought it was warranted, but I didn't agree. Oh, and one more reason I didn't give it a 5 was the distance the movie keeps from the audience. Even though, the character leaves these cutesie notes at the trail markers to clue us in to what she is thinking, we oftentimes have to guess. However, there was one great moment that I don't think I will ever forget in this film, which is one of my favorite film moments of 2014, and it is when she comes across a little boy who sings to her his rendition of "red river valley" --- I never thought about the words, but it was such a touching moment that when he leaves, we watch Reese from the back and she collapses to her knees and sobs --- wow! I get chills just thinking about this moment again. How film can put into a few minutes a whole lifetime of emotion. And that's why I keep going back to it time and time again.
WILD 2 hours I would rate it 4 stars out of 5
A chronicle of one woman's 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe.
