[projekktor id=’16687′]
Though I haven’t read Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, after watching Jean-Marc Vallée’s film adaptation Wild it’s easy to imagine why it’s so beloved. Strayed is everything most female film protagonists are not; she’s brash, opinionated, messy and imperfect. In other words, she’s human. She’s also damned tough. The writer hiked the length of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert in California to the Bridge of the Gods on the border of Oregon and Washington. However a far greater distance is traveled in Cheryl’s own mind, and the depiction of this spiritual journey is what makes the film something special.
As we follow Cheryl along the trail (which runs north-south along the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges) we simultaneously travel backwards through her troubled life, revealing an abusive father from whom her caring mother escapes (Laura Dern), an emotionally detached brother dependent on Cheryl for support (Keene McRae), and a well-meaning husband unable to save her from her herself (Thomas Sadoski). It’s a stirringly told portrait of a person facing their demons amidst the unforgiving American wilderness.
Though her hike is arduous, the story is less about the difficulties nature can dish out (if it was she would have been swept down rapids at least once in the film, as is the rule) and more about how we come to terms with the past and our role in it. Vallée does a great job of matching flashbacks of the major crises in Cheryl’s life to important points on her trail. These leaps into Cheryl’s thoughts never feel as if they’re intruding on our enjoyment of her outer journey, but rather deepen our connection with the character, allowing us to see the isolating beauty around her with new eyes.
Wild is the perfect antidote for people feeling twinges of wanderlust in these short, dark, winter days and an inspirational story that manages to side step most of the trappings of films normally referred to as “inspirational”.
Cheryl Strayed is the type of role an actress waits for, and Reese Witherspoon has certainly done her share of waiting. It’s a marvelous performance by the actress who’s enjoying a major career-resurgence as both a performer and producer (she produced this film as well as another of the year’s hits, Gone Girl). Working at the level that won her a Best Actress Oscar in 2005 (Walk the Line) Witherspoon treats each evolution of her character with an understated elegance, almost painfully aware of herself at every turn. And there are portions of Cheryl’s story that are certainly very painful, however she manages to avoid dramatic cliches and never lets her change in haircut/makeup do the talking. It’s an almost invisible performance, and one that is certain to draw attention during awards season.
At least some of Reese’s resurgence must be attributed to the magic touch of director Jean-Marc Vallée. The French Canadian filmmaker is quickly cementing a spot in Hollywood with powerful true stories about willful outcasts playing against a stacked deck. However with Wild he gave himself a tougher task, delving inside the mind of a protagonist in order to shape the meaning of what would otherwise be a film about a long-ass walk. And like last year’s Dallas Buyers Club, Vallée has placed the burden of this story on the shoulders of an actor better known for romantic comedies than intensely personal dramas. Last year it paid off, with lead actor Matthew McConaughey winning an Oscar and vaulting into Hollywood royalty (although still doing car commercials for some reason). With her performance in Wild, the same could very well happen to Reese Witherspoon this year. No doubt Mr. Vallée’s voicemail is filled with actors eager to collaborate.
Wild is the perfect antidote for people feeling twinges of wanderlust in these short, dark, winter days and an inspirational story that manages to side step most of the trappings of films normally referred to as “inspirational”. Though it has it’s moments of on-the-nose metaphor (a friendly chef at a checkpoint teaches Cheryl to literally let go of some baggage) the film is never preachy. In fact it feels so deeply personal that one would be hard-pressed to find a message in the whole thing. It’s simply Cheryl’s story, and it makes you want to go out and write your own.
Reviewed by Evan Arppe.
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