[stlrman]

Just rented this last week. Very well done.  the wife and I both enjoyed this one.

[ajzepp]

I'm not the biggest Reese Witherspoon fan, but she typically does a good job so the lady friend and I gave this a go. The first half hour was fantastic and we were both engaged. Then it all changed...

To me, this came off as one big political statement, and I really can't stand when movies do that to me. After the film I went and looked into this lady's background a bit, and sure enough it just confirmed my suspicions.

I'm as pro-woman as any man I know, and I have practiced what I preach for over a decade as an RN...but I really dont' like feeling as if someone was using my entertainment to push their agenda on me...regardless of what it is. It takes me completely out of the film and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Just my opinion, though...

[Rob Babcock]

I had mixed feelings.  On the one hand I have to hand it to Ms. Witherspoon; she turned in a great performance, and one that will likely be noticed come Oscar time.  But I thought it was a bit trite at times with some messed up gender politics.  If the roles were reversed and the husband was having sex with any woman with a pulse and the woman followed him around trying to clean up after him he'd be portrayed as a real douchebag, and when he finally left his wife we'd feel terrible for her.  But in Wild the husband is just a McGuffin that's tossed away without much thought.  And while the film doesn't explicitly state it in so many words it seems to imply that hiking the AT is a good substitute for therapy and/or a detox facility.

Ultimately the protagonist just doesn't seem like a very good person.  She doesn't treat others well and doesn't have many redeeming qualities.  The film's success or failure hinges on tapping that reservoir of goodwill the audience has for Witherspoon, and beloved actress that's kind of an America's-Sweetheart type of celebrity.  I didn't really find myself all that invested in her nor did I really root for her much.  It kind of struck me as a 'first world problems' kind of a film.

Not bad if you're a fan of Witherspoon but often painful to watch without much of a cathartic payoff.

[S Clark]

I thought it was well acted, thoughtful, and filmed well.  Ms. Witherspoon did a nice job, and overall, I enjoyed the film.  Is her character sleazy? Yes.  But the story is one of redemption, and wouldn't be as interesting without her characters flaws.  Is it political? Yeah, but what isn't. I don't have to agree with the politics to enjoy the movie.

[ACHiPo]

We stumbled on this a couple weeks ago.  I find myself thinking of it frequently--a sign of a good film.  I didn't find it political at all.  What am I missing?

I saw it as a protagonist that used the PCT to overcome her demons, and along the way received perhaps unwarranted help that also helped in her process.

[Kenneth Patchen]

Agreed that Witherspoon's acting is very strong in this film, close to flawless -  and I don't usually appreciate her acting - but the film does suffer when her personal agenda gets in the way, as it also does in the book. I would have preferred to see less of the melodrama (oh, great, needle drugs and casual sex with strangers romanticized yet again - thanks alot Hollywood! ) and more about the trials of a newbie adapting to life on the trail for three months while immersed in the sheer beauty of the PT.

Bonus minor quibble: I was trail backpacking for four weeks and dropped 20lbs very quickly.; Witherspoon at the end of the trail looks pretty much as she started.