Movie Review Friday: Into the Wild

Escape to the movies with one of our Movie Review Friday selections. Each week we review a film with an environmental therem that's currently in theaters or available on DVD. Seen a good eco-flick lately? Send us a short review and look for it in the next Movie Review Friday.

Into the Wild (2007)

Available on DVD

Into the Wild, a film directed by Sean Penn and based on a nonfiction book by Jon Krakauer, follows the true story of a new college graduate who decided to leave behind what he perceived to be his materialist lifestyle to head toward Alaska.

During Christopher McCandless’s cross-country trip, he meets interesting characters, including friendly residents of a hippie commune. When he finally reaches Alaska after a colorful two-year journey, he realizes that he's not fully prepared for the harsh environment, and that his perception of what the wilderness would be like was romanticized.

Emile Hirsch, who plays McCandless, does an extraordinary job of portraying a likable young man with lofty goals and good intentions but a lack of knowledge about the dangers of the wild, the significance of interpersonal relationships, and himself.

While this film celebrates the natural world's beauty, it also reminds us that it's crucial to respect our surroundings and to have an appropriate level of awareness about nature's dangers.

--Kristin Baldwin