Spring Break
'Into the Wild' a worthwhile journey
Marjorie Hamburger
Issue date: 1/27/09 Section: Entertainment
At one time or another, many of us have envisioned abandoning our current lifestyles to venture the paths less traveled. This might involve a spontaneous road trip to Mexico, or perhaps several years backpacking across Europe.
For many, the thought merely occurs for a few minutes, particularly during finals week, and is gone by dinnertime. But for others, this image is a lifelong aspiration that cannot be easily discarded.
For Christopher McCandless, played by Emile Hirsche, this vision guides his life. The 2007 film "Into the Wild", directed by Sean Penn and based on the book of the same name by John Krakauer, portrays one man's journey of a lifetime.
For a young man of 20, McCandless' life appears orderly and refined, no doubt on the up-and-up path to aristocratic standards of success. As a recent graduate of Emory University, his path is seemingly directed to law school. However, after donating his entire life savings to charity, McCandless disappears without a trace.
He deserts his family, friends and livelihood without a backward glance to experience what few have the guts to attempt: living off nature, luck and the kindness of strangers.
With all he had going for him, why does McCandless decide to pick up and leave so spontaneously? Perhaps it was an act of defiance against his parents and their predictable, patrician lifestyle. Or maybe the idea of living as one with nature was too enticing to pass up. One thing is for certain -- he was on a quest for self-discovery and truth.
McCandless burns his social security card, changes his name to Alexander Supertramp and pursues his goal to travel into the wild. His journey takes him across the United States from South Dakota, to the Grand Canyon, to Los Angeles, and even down to Mexico. But his true desire is to travel into the Alaskan wilderness.
The people McCandless encounters on the road are the true backbone of his experience. Though the authority figures are predictably unfriendly to his cause, others are surprisingly compassionate.
For many, the thought merely occurs for a few minutes, particularly during finals week, and is gone by dinnertime. But for others, this image is a lifelong aspiration that cannot be easily discarded.
For Christopher McCandless, played by Emile Hirsche, this vision guides his life. The 2007 film "Into the Wild", directed by Sean Penn and based on the book of the same name by John Krakauer, portrays one man's journey of a lifetime.
For a young man of 20, McCandless' life appears orderly and refined, no doubt on the up-and-up path to aristocratic standards of success. As a recent graduate of Emory University, his path is seemingly directed to law school. However, after donating his entire life savings to charity, McCandless disappears without a trace.
He deserts his family, friends and livelihood without a backward glance to experience what few have the guts to attempt: living off nature, luck and the kindness of strangers.
With all he had going for him, why does McCandless decide to pick up and leave so spontaneously? Perhaps it was an act of defiance against his parents and their predictable, patrician lifestyle. Or maybe the idea of living as one with nature was too enticing to pass up. One thing is for certain -- he was on a quest for self-discovery and truth.
McCandless burns his social security card, changes his name to Alexander Supertramp and pursues his goal to travel into the wild. His journey takes him across the United States from South Dakota, to the Grand Canyon, to Los Angeles, and even down to Mexico. But his true desire is to travel into the Alaskan wilderness.
The people McCandless encounters on the road are the true backbone of his experience. Though the authority figures are predictably unfriendly to his cause, others are surprisingly compassionate.
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