Review of Wild (2014) by Steve C — 31 Dec 2016

A woman (Reese Witherspoon), her life somewhat in disarray, takes a notion to hike the Pacific Crest Trail by herself. She does a great deal of walking and thinking, because that is kind of what one does on such a long hike. The thinking, of the past, is presented as edited-in scenes, shots for her life before the hike. Her mother (Laura Dern) is a large figure in her life and she thinks of her in these scenes we see. She has also been married, and had other relationships. All these things, including a traumatic scene from very early childhood come back, she cannot keep them away on this epic journey.

I thought the walking thinking of the traumatic past, sequences, were really well constructed, with deeper, scarier memories presented in just snips of the past.

This is a quite fine movie. Keese Witherspoon is very good in the role that allows her to explore several modes in the character's past and present. I particularly liked the angry addict she once was. There are some very good scenes with Laura Dern (who I have always liked in movies, and Enlightened.).

What makes a fine movie star?

I think someone like Reese Witherspoon is a fine movie star. I make this judgement because of the projects selected. And Reese Witherspoon is picking good, worthwhile, projects, not just commercial stuff for a buck.

I have done some back-pack trail hiking, But only on the East Coast and mostly in Vermont where I walked over half of the state along the mountain ridges via the Long Trail.

But that is nothing like the Pacific. In the movie she starts out in the south with days through the desert. I like trees. I don't think I would want to hike through the desert. But by the end one can think, "Hmm! This might be a nice thing to do one last time." But it might be better to wait a few years after all the people attracted by the movie are finished with it.