Review of Wild (2014) by Satya — 13 Dec 2014

Horrible movie, this is NOT about hiking or redemption. As someone who leads people in the wilderness and vision quests, this movie is a hollywood movie about a (SPOILER ALERT) junky, sex addict who runs away from the world when she doesn't like herself after her mother passes. Of course, as would happen on a hike of any length, memories come up for her and, as she is on the PCT as a solo woman, dangers of men who might rape her come up (I found this sideline a bit abusive after a while - how many of these experiences are necessary for her? - seriously, one was enough).

This could have been an amazing movie, instead, it felt contrived, focused on the addict instead of the hiking with only glimpses of the true breadth of experience someone who hikes that long would have. Also, throughout the movie it's claimed she had NO EXPERIENCE, yet she had packages sent at every break and had the trail mapped out and yes, she overpacked a pack but to think that she could hike with a pack she could barely lift for even 5 miles - totally crazy. No one could have hiked that far with a pack they can hardly lift. Come on now. It's these sorts of over the top scenes that made me go 'seriously'?

On a personal note, I also lost my mom and went hiking after to clear my head, recall the memories, etc. A beautiful aspect of this movie could have been her talking to her mother by the fire at night or doing a ritual for her in the woods. Also, for those who don't understand the concept of power animals (the fox) there should have been more about that. I teach shamanism, to just have an animal show up a few times with no reasoning for those new to this, seemed a childish stunt when it's a true practice. Lastly, the end of the movie, really? all the sudden she goes into this speech to wrap up that felt totally out of the space for the movie. There was no build up, just suddenly she's like a buddha because she finishes the trail. Totally unrealistic, especially based on her behaviors and the rest of the movie. Contrived junk, sad, so sad, this could have been so goo.