Into the Wild

Yesterday I went to go see Into the Wild. Both Wolf and Rabbit had given it rave reviews a couple of weeks ago, saying it was definitely the best movie they had seen this year. And these guys watch A LOT of movies, so....I figured I could trust them. I was not led astray! My expectations were even set too low. It was amazing! Everything about this movie I loved. The way it was filmed, the acting, the characters, the settings, the narration. It definitely evoked in me more emotion than any film I have ever watched before. I even cried. Several times. Movies very rarely make me cry. Although I know that part of it is because of my own experiences and where I am in my life that made it very easy for me to relate to the main character, Chris McCandless. A few of the scenes I remember in detail that evoked some serious emotion for me. One in which Chris is running amongst a herd of wild elk in Alaska, smiling and laughing, another in which he comes into a beautiful Alaskan valley with majestic snow covered mountains encircling him. He throws his head back, opens wide his arms and at that moment I could feel the freedom that comes with being in such a place, being SO far away. And the insights! He meets some neat people along the way and affects them in a profound way, giving them such amazing insights. I heard myself saying during these moments, through the tears "Yes! Yes! This is what it's about!" I didn't even want to get up and leave after it was over. There was just so much to process. I mean, that could be me, the way he felt about the world, society and what is REALLY important in this life. It all made perfect sense to me, and really made me think about what the hell I am doing. It made me feel sad, excited, angry, frustrated, bewildered, and so full, full of what, I'm not sure. Full of the weight of the world maybe, the pain that this world brings. Sometimes it just hurts. When I got home, I sat down and just started crying. I wasn't even sure why. I came to the conclusion that it was the pain of this fake world, this crazy world that I don't feel I belong in, that makes no sense to me and yet is all I know. I feel like I'm missing something, something that I have never had, a lifestyle completely different than what I know now. It wasn't always like this!

I'm not really sure what else to say. Although I am happy that I went by myself. That was the first time I had ever gone to a movie alone, and it was awesome! I don't think I would have had the same experience had I been with someone else. It was almost liberating, going alone.

I'd love to read the book sometime. I do have a copy at my parents' house I'll have to pick up the next time I'm there. The photo is a self-portrait of the real Christopher McCandless taken in Alaska.

Quotes from the movie
Quotes from the book