View Full Version : Into The Wild the movie
Earl Grey
02-18-2008, 20:07
So I watched this last night and thought it was great. I read the book a few years ago and it had a profound effect on me in that someone can just go freely out into the world and do whatever you want. The movie kept mostly with the book and gave you a visual reference to the book. Its gotten good reviews and should get them no question.
Lone Wolf
02-18-2008, 20:10
oh boy! here we go! the kid was ignorant. foolish.
oh boy! here we go! the kid was ignorant. foolish.
Settle down, man. March 4th will be here before you know it.
Lone Wolf
02-18-2008, 20:13
what happens march 4th?
what happens march 4th?
It's out on DVD. I know you're anxious
Lone Wolf
02-18-2008, 20:16
i'd rather see a flick about that dude that hacked his arm off to save himself
I enjoyed it too, blackmath. Heck, I enjoy any outdoor movie. The scenery alone made this one worthwhile.
i'd rather see a flick about that dude that hacked his arm off to save himself
A real man would have chewed it off.
Lone Wolf
02-18-2008, 20:37
A real man would have chewed it off.
a real man would have left an itinerary and/or had someone with him
jersey joe
02-18-2008, 21:10
despite the fact that the kid WAS foolish, I am looking forward to seeing Into the Wild.
Almost There
02-18-2008, 21:14
The movie was good, the kid was stupid, the end leaves you feeling....blah. For me it was a good movie, but not an enjoyable movie.
This guy's odyssey was written up in a long magazine article some years ago. He was clueless & he paid for it.
Appalachian Tater
02-18-2008, 21:31
I don't think he was so much stupid as schizophrenic. The movie was good but overlooked that. Also, he flat-out starved to death, there were no poisonous plants involved. He had a bunch of money on him, too. The movie basically glamorized a schizophrenic kid starving to death in a bus in Alaska.
Lone Wolf: "A real man would have left an itinerary and/or had someone with him."
No, that would be "A SMART man".
I still haven't figured out why, when I try to copy a post to respond to, the site tells me that my message is too short. I also get a message on my screen that there is an "error on page". ?????
I don't think he was dumb. I think he was mentally ill.
Panzer
dessertrat
02-18-2008, 21:57
i'd rather see a flick about that dude that hacked his arm off to save himself
I'll bet that makes you feel like an idjit-- runnin' back home with your arm left under a rock.
One time when I was a kid I licked the flagpole outside my school and left the tip of my tongue stuck to it because it was frozen. It bled a lot. I can't imagine leaving my whole arm behind, then going into the school and telling that b****Mrs. Toll that I left my arm behind when she asks why in the hell I'm bleeding out one sleeve. The tip of the tongue was bad enough.
I thought it was terrific. In fact, I know lw you will laugh, I cried in the bathroom...hid in there before I left the movie house. Maybe it is becuz I live in AK and also becuz I have some empathy for the guy. Nothing is EVER black and white. We all do things we shouldn't... some learn from that some just keep doing it and remain lucky. he never really got the chance to learn from it cuz he was still at the age where he thought he was invinsible. Alaska has NO remorse. She will eat you up and spit you out with un nerving callousness. the kid won't be the last to under estimate this place. But, my heart broke for him and his family. he had a sweet beauty about him, that boy. Maybe that was the most moving thing of all about him. Okay, you guys can all now laugh at me...:) but the thing is... i can remember that innocence...might still have a trace left myself.
Also, he flat-out starved to death, there were no poisonous plants involved.
Actually I think according to the movie he ate some poisonous plants.
Panzer
As depicted in the movie, the book says he may have mistaken some poisonous seeds for eatable ones, which ultimately lead to his starvation. The movie also leaves-out something else the book said: Had he explored either upstream or downstream, when he came to the swollen river, he would have found either a gauging station with a cable and a basket or calmer water where he could have crossed. A good lesson for hikers.
Sounds like it should be a double feature with Grizzly Man.
Although, there was one scene in Grizzly Man I found informative, where he stood off the Grizzly with body lean. Very macho. Course, running would have been suicide.
double d
02-18-2008, 23:05
What I didn't like about the young man (actually he was born the same year as I was, 1968), was that he completely cut himself off from his family. That is what really worked on me while I watched the film, why hurt your family, especially your sister like this? Maybe he had a "death wish", maybe he was mentally ill, maybe....maybe...., but it is true that Mother Nature is not to be challenged the way he did. To me, a great story about Alaska is about the guy who retired and build his own home in Alaska, then later it was made into a state park, I forget the guys name, but he was a great person.
So... I read the book Into the Wild, then couldn't wait until it came out in the theater. I loved them both, and cried even more when I saw the film. Perhaps because I knew the ending. Yes, the guy wasn't that smart...he did have a death wish. He didn't really plan anything out or think much into the future or look at any consequence... I've tried to figure out why I like this "story" so much. Perhaps he was mentally or emotionally mixed up and that caused him to live his life the way he did and make the decision to do what he did, which ended up costing him his life. I think that maybe I like this story because he did make a mistake...and he was a little messed up...but in the end it seems as if he had a realization that might have turned his life around. What was so sad about it for me was that the way the story was presented, Mother Nature gave him what he needed most in his life, and that was the knowledge that happiness is best when shared... hhmmm...
Now for Aron Ralston's story (Between a Rock and a Hard Place)... Loved that one too... Not sayin he was very intelligent about what he did. He made a mistake that very well could have cost him his life, not just his arm. But, he reminded me to stare fear in the eyes and not back down...to turn it into a challenge to overcome instead...
I guess I related to both of these stories because I'm human and I make mistakes all the time, and I can be clumsy sometimes too... when you're "out there", Mother Nature isn't always forgiving... and you should never take her for granted.
warraghiyagey
02-19-2008, 00:46
I see the bi-monthly trash the dead kid who never hurt anyone consortium has reconvened.
I loved the book - have yet to see the movie and feel nothing but empathy for the outcome and his family.
I loved the book, too. Read it twice. (2nd time, after the movie.) That doesn't mean I'm totally sympathetic with the protagonist. I'm just sorta into morbid adventure stories, I guess. :cool:
dessertrat
02-19-2008, 01:01
What I didn't like about the young man (actually he was born the same year as I was, 1968), was that he completely cut himself off from his family. That is what really worked on me while I watched the film, why hurt your family, especially your sister like this? Maybe he had a "death wish", maybe he was mentally ill, maybe....maybe...., but it is true that Mother Nature is not to be challenged the way he did. To me, a great story about Alaska is about the guy who retired and build his own home in Alaska, then later it was made into a state park, I forget the guys name, but he was a great person.
Do you mean Dick Prenneke (sp?). PBS had a really good show on him.
I don't think McCandless thought he would die. I think he thought that some day he would go home and visit, etc. He got in over his head, is all. He left a note when he was dying asking for help, in the name of God. He really wanted to live.
OregonHiker
02-19-2008, 01:10
a real man would have left an itinerary and/or had someone with him
Word! :-?
Do you mean Dick Prenneke (sp?). PBS had a really good show on him.......
What an awesome story that was. I had a DVD of it, but it's misplaced. Here is a link. Can't wait to watch it again. We are all newbies compared to this guy:http://www.dickproenneke.com/DickProenneke.html
Matteroo
02-19-2008, 05:42
Twin Lakes has got to be one of my favorite places in the whole world. I went to Twin Lakes for a week and stayed in a cabin across the lake from Dick in 1994 or so with my father. I was about 12 and that was my first time in Alaska.. We returned to Twin Lakes, again in 1999 with a cousin who is my age for another Week. I've seen his cabin up close, caught grayling and dolly varden in the stream that he caught them in, and climbed a number of the peaks around the lake. See every kind of wildlife-including a wolverine. And had the fortune of getting an extra 3 days there due to bad weather during our first trip. Float plane couldn't make it through the mountain passes, so that meant just sticking it out close to the cabin and keeping our ears open for that prop-plane-in-the-distance sound. I swam in that lake too--mighty cold. We brought a depth finder too--drops to 60 foot deep about 20 foot off shore.
We also visited Denali and around there on our first trip-which was the year after McCandess died. The more I reflect on the book (which I read in the 90's) and seeing the areas around denali-it was a pipedream but a common one at that, and i suppose, at least he tried. Hell, a thru hike it an attempt at it-the return to the land. But, its a one way street-there is no return to the archaic times-only a fusion of now and some semblence of then. my 2cents
My pictures of Twin Lakes in 1994 and in 1999, including Dick's Cabin: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bucketwater/sets/72157603938431008/
What I didn't like about the young man (actually he was born the same year as I was, 1968), was that he completely cut himself off from his family. That is what really worked on me while I watched the film, why hurt your family, especially your sister like this?
It was because of how his parents raised him. He had a very bad family life, with the exception of his relationship with his sister.
Panzer
It was because of how his parents raised him. He had a very bad family life, with the exception of his relationship with his sister.
Panzer
He also found out he was a bastard.
i wathched the movie the day after i read the book with people that did not know the story and had not read the book.....i liked the movie but felt it left so much out for anyone who hadnt read it to understand everything that happened....especially at the end.
iesman69
02-19-2008, 12:30
Toward the end of July, after apparently remaining healthy for more than three months, McCandless wrote a journal entry reporting extreme weakness and blaming it on "pot. seeds." -- Krakauer's theory on McCandless' death
Tankerhoosen
02-19-2008, 12:43
I read the book when I was in high school and was moved, read it again after college and thought he was way to idealistic, and unprepared.
Tankerhoosen
02-19-2008, 12:44
Toward the end of July, after apparently remaining healthy for more than three months, McCandless wrote a journal entry reporting extreme weakness and blaming it on "pot. seeds." -- Krakauer's theory on McCandless' death
They were potatoes, a wild variety, the root is completely edible but the greens are not. From what I remember reading the book if you eat the greens it basically shuts down your digestive function. So you can eat and eat but still starve.
SweetAss03
02-19-2008, 12:44
For anyone who likes good music, I thought that the Soundtrack was great. Eddie Vedder in a raw yet enjoyable CD.
Book and movie were good IMHO. Of course, the book was better
SweetAss
I feel they had to throw in the nudity to keep me from falling asleep. :eek:
Appalachian Tater
02-19-2008, 12:59
There is no evidence that he did anything but starve to death. Any other cause of death is pure speculation without evidence on the part of the author of the book and those who interpreted it into film.
The Alaskans hammered him... laughed at his" audicity and stupidity.." there was no sympathy. They have since, from what I have heard.. ransacked the trailer and give tours to the site.
ps- Sly, have a great time on the pct ya dillweed !
I don't think he was so much stupid as schizophrenic. The movie was good but overlooked that. Also, he flat-out starved to death, there were no poisonous plants involved. He had a bunch of money on him, too. The movie basically glamorized a schizophrenic kid starving to death in a bus in Alaska.
I apparently read a different book. I don't recall reading anything that implied that he was mentally ill. He also gave $24,000 to charity nearly two years before he went to Alaska, and his remaining money he gave to the guy who dropped him off at the trail head, something like 80 cents. As far as starving to death, the author speculates that he ate moldy potato seeds that shut down his digestive system so that he could not absorb any nutients, so yes he basically starved, but not because he wasn't eating. Prior to getting sick, he appeared to be eating well enough to sustain himself. This is what I observed from reading the book, and I haven't seen the movie yet. Is there evidence that suggests differently, other than the book?
Appalachian Tater
02-19-2008, 14:18
......the author speculates ....... Is there evidence that suggests differently, other than the book?No, the author speculated. The poor guy was mentally ill and starved to death.
No, the author speculated. The poor guy was mentally ill and starved to death.
Do you know this as a fact? The author's speculation was based on journal entries. Has information come to light in recent years to suggest the author was wrong?
Appalachian Tater
02-19-2008, 14:32
Do you know this as a fact? The author's speculation was based on journal entries. Has information come to light in recent years to suggest the author was wrong?
From the book:
The body was taken to Anchorage, where an autopsy was performed at the Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory. The remains were so badly decomposed that it was impossible to determine exactly when McCandless had died, but the coroner could find no sign of massive internal injuries or broken bones. Virtually no subcutaneous fat remained on the body, and the muscles had withered significantly in the days or weeks prior to death. At the time of the autopsy, McCandless's remains weighed sixty-seven pounds. Starvation was posited as the most probable cause of death.
What about mental illness? People that the author interviewed did not not percieve McCandless to be mentally ill, quite the opposite in fact.
Appalachian Tater
02-19-2008, 15:01
What about mental illness? People that the author interviewed did not not percieve McCandless to be mentally ill, quite the opposite in fact.As far as I know, he was never diagnosed as schizophrenic by a health care professional.
As far as I know, he was never diagnosed as schizophrenic by a health care professional.
How could he have? He was basically off the grid from his graduation onwards. He didn't even carry a drivers license.
Appalachian Tater
02-19-2008, 19:58
How could he have? He was basically off the grid from his graduation onwards. He didn't even carry a drivers license. Yes, there are unanswered questions that will never be answered.
I'll bet that makes you feel like an idjit-- runnin' back home with your arm left under a rock.
One time when I was a kid I licked the flagpole outside my school and left the tip of my tongue stuck to it because it was frozen. It bled a lot.
Be glad it was the tip and not the flat part. Did you get double dared?
dessertrat
02-19-2008, 20:42
Be glad it was the tip and not the flat part. Did you get double dared?
Nope, I just didn't believe what people had told me. That was right up the road from where attroll lives-- I was a student at the elementary school in Manchester, Maine at the time. (Manchester is just north of Litchfield).
Cheesewhiz
02-19-2008, 22:36
Yeah he may have made a honest mistake by misidentifying two very very similar plants, But he has more balls than 99% of the people on this site(my self included) when it comes to real adventure. Did you ever kayak the entire Colorado river. Who gives a crap about his Alaskan adventure. Look at all the other stuff he did for how many years before he spent a mere 5 months in the back country.
Lone Wolf
02-19-2008, 22:37
balls= lack of rational thinking
Cheesewhiz
02-19-2008, 22:39
I figured you would have a comment like that
Lone Wolf
02-19-2008, 22:41
I figured you would have a comment like that
well? :-?....
Darwin again
02-19-2008, 22:44
Thread killer.
Cheesewhiz
02-19-2008, 22:52
I have worked in the Horticultural field for nearly 9 years now, I have a degree in ornamental horticulture and landscape design, Studied for 2 years at Longwood Gardens, Multiple continuing education classes for plant identification and just an all around plant junkie and I could have mad the same damn mistake.
Why did homeboy have to cut off his arm with a pocket knife? Was he Ill prepared, did he not take someone along or did he not let someone know where he was going.
:-? Right backatcha'
WWLWD? any guesses?
dessertrat
02-20-2008, 01:20
:-? Right backatcha'
WWLWD? any guesses?
I'm guessing he would have probably brought more food with him, and a map.
Cheesewhiz
02-20-2008, 06:28
He still had rice left when he died, did he not, He was eating and his stomach was shrinking even faster. You eventually wither away from the toxins in this plant eating away at you muscles.
Cheesewhiz
02-20-2008, 06:39
I would like to see any one of you give up your little fortune, your car, your cash in pocket and go on a REAL adventure. Backpacking for a week or two with certain you have a job when you come back from your paid vacation lacks REAL adventure. I mean come on freaking Christopher Columbus even did not have a map and many of his men perished on the way. You saying that was irresponsible and nimwit like. Your not very appreciative then. Look at what ya got from outside the circle, Chris McCandles was willing to give up all society and at least attempt real adventure in modern day. Backpacking in PA with the narrow ridges and road noise on both sides of ya. What happened to true SOLITUDE are to many Americans AFRAID. I think that might be the case
Critterman
02-20-2008, 09:13
I would like to see any one of you give up your little fortune, your car, your cash in pocket and go on a REAL adventure. Backpacking for a week or two with certain you have a job when you come back from your paid vacation lacks REAL adventure. I mean come on freaking Christopher Columbus even did not have a map and many of his men perished on the way. You saying that was irresponsible and nimwit like. Your not very appreciative then. Look at what ya got from outside the circle, Chris McCandles was willing to give up all society and at least attempt real adventure in modern day. Backpacking in PA with the narrow ridges and road noise on both sides of ya. What happened to true SOLITUDE are to many Americans AFRAID. I think that might be the case
I guess it all depends on how you define adventure. If you have to take foolish risks to have an adventure then count me out. If an adventure means doing something that challenges your abilities and takes you outside your comfort zone then count me in.
buff_jeff
02-20-2008, 10:49
I guess it all depends on how you define adventure. If you have to take foolish risks to have an adventure then count me out. If an adventure means doing something that challenges your abilities and takes you outside your comfort zone then count me in.
I agree. There's a difference between adventure and death wish.
TrippinBTM
02-20-2008, 11:54
the guy just had different standards and expectations of life. He didn't want to die, but based on his journal, he ended up accepting it and dying with grace. He could have done it smarter, for sure, but clearly he was living a different sort of life. I respect him for it.
and yeah, he starved to death. The poisonous plant he ate inhibits energy uptake even weeks after it's eaten. You have to eat a TON of food to get enough energy, but obviously he was already weak and couldn't do it. Would be hard to do even if he were strong at the time.
TrippinBTM
02-20-2008, 11:59
This is what I observed from reading the book, and I haven't seen the movie yet. Is there evidence that suggests differently, other than the book?
don't go to hollywood for anything other than entertainment. They tend to be short on facts...
Appalachian Tater
02-20-2008, 13:17
I would like to see any one of you give up your little fortune, your car, your cash in pocket and go on a REAL adventure. Backpacking for a week or two with certain you have a job when you come back from your paid vacation lacks REAL adventure. I mean come on freaking Christopher Columbus even did not have a map and many of his men perished on the way. You saying that was irresponsible and nimwit like. Your not very appreciative then. Look at what ya got from outside the circle, Chris McCandles was willing to give up all society and at least attempt real adventure in modern day. Backpacking in PA with the narrow ridges and road noise on both sides of ya. What happened to true SOLITUDE are to many Americans AFRAID. I think that might be the caseHe wasn't an explorer, he was living in an abandoned bus.
Bare Bear
02-20-2008, 16:38
Or Chuck Norris could have stared down the bear....and stopped the water with a glare.
Cheesewhiz
02-20-2008, 17:48
So what he slept in a bus, 90% of AT hikers sleep in those mouse infested eyesores that they call shelters.
He wasn't an explorer, he was living in an abandoned bus.
it was a "converted" bus. Had all the comforts of home.
Panzer
Lone Wolf
02-20-2008, 20:55
it was a "converted" bus. Had all the comforts of home.
except food and gun to shoot food. some survivalist
Chris had a gun - a .22 rifle, IIRC. He even managed to shoot a moose with it, but he was unable to keep the meat from rotting.
Critterman
02-20-2008, 22:02
Chris had a gun - a .22 rifle, IIRC. He even managed to shoot a moose with it, but he was unable to keep the meat from rotting.
Porcupines, ground squirrels and other such as well.
hnryclay
02-20-2008, 22:06
Comparing this kid to Christopher Columbus is ridiculous.
Cheesewhiz
02-20-2008, 22:13
Read the book and get the details before you jump and criticize. Chris did have a gun. Not by any means a powerful enough gun to take down a grizzly, but took down plenty of small game and was on a good path of survival until a simple mistake. He was prepared, he even had a wild edible plant book with him. The book does go into slightly more detail than the movie. He was stupid for not taking a map because that would have saved him.
Dances with Mice
02-20-2008, 22:23
Chris had a gun - a .22 rifle, IIRC. He even managed to shoot a moose with it, but he was unable to keep the meat from rotting.There's a difference between being unable to do something and being ignorant about how to do something.
Chris was able to keep the meat from spoiling but instead spent a lot of effort to do the wrong thing. That was sort of a theme with him, wasn't it?
Appalachian Tater
02-20-2008, 23:03
Read the book and get the details before you jump and criticize. Chris did have a gun. Not by any means a powerful enough gun to take down a grizzly, but took down plenty of small game and was on a good path of survival until a simple mistake. He was prepared, he even had a wild edible plant book with him. The book does go into slightly more detail than the movie. He was stupid for not taking a map because that would have saved him.He shot and killed a moose, why couldn't he have shot and killed a grizzly bear?
There's a difference between being unable to do something and being ignorant about how to do something.
Chris was able to keep the meat from spoiling but instead spent a lot of effort to do the wrong thing. That was sort of a theme with him, wasn't it?
I'm not defending Chris. LW's post suggested that Chris didn't have a gun, which was incorrect.
Dances with Mice
02-20-2008, 23:22
I'm not defending Chris. LW's post suggested that Chris didn't have a gun, which was incorrect.Yep, he had a gun. With it he was able to eat a lot of songbirds and a little moose.
The obvious advantage of a .22 is that you can carry more ammo for the same weight than if it was a large caliber gun. Since he's only feeding himself he doesn't really need to kill anything big.
I was surprised that he was able to kill a moose with a .22. Don't underestimate the power of a .22.
Panzer
Cheesewhiz
02-21-2008, 07:38
Comparing this kid to Christopher Columbus is ridiculous.
Do you really think I was comparing him directly to Columbus? I was comparing adventures and preparedness. Damn you read into things worse than Lone Wolf
I apparently read a different book. I don't recall reading anything that implied that he was mentally ill.
The movie showed him as a child watching his parents fighting. They had bad fights. They showed his reaction to the constant fighting. The suggestion was that this screwed up his head in many ways. He did not feel safe at home or near home or near his parents. When he grew up he wanted to get as far away from home as he could and never go back again.
Panzer
Jim Adams
02-22-2008, 22:39
you guys are WAAAAAY to serious here...come on...if all of you have spent the time in the woods or wilderness for any length of hike you have all been in a life threatening situation at some point...most of you probably just didn't realize!
when all is said and done, the only difference between an epic adventure and a true tragedy is whether you come back alive!
geek
when all is said and done, the only difference between an epic adventure and a true tragedy is whether you come back alive!
Maybe.... but then again, nothing I've done qualifies as an "epic adventure."
Lone Wolf
02-22-2008, 23:48
Do you really think I was comparing him directly to Columbus? I was comparing adventures and preparedness. Damn you read into things worse than Lone Wolf
i read into this kid. freakin ignorant comes to mind. i hope his death meant something to him
I read the book but did nopt see the movie.
I read the book but did nopt see the movie.
You haven't missed all that much, then. Sean Penn makes Chris out to be kinda Jesus-like, which I didn't get from the book. Nice scenery and all... it's got the Chris-character on a stage singing "Angel from Montgomery" at one point... :D
warraghiyagey
02-23-2008, 16:03
... it's got the Chris-character on a stage singing "Angel from Montgomery" at one point... :D
Speaking of which, most of the folks (see girls) think that Bonnie Raitt has the best version of that song. For my money, the Leslie Spit Treeo gave that song some serious JUICE!!
Bonnie Raitt's version was the first I heard, and it's great. I'm sure there are a lot of folks who think it's her song. Prine's not nearly as famous, I don't think...
wtmntcaretaker
02-23-2008, 16:30
I like susan Tedachi's version, similar to Raitt but more singing no talking
Cheesewhiz
02-24-2008, 06:36
i read into this kid. freakin ignorant comes to mind. i hope his death meant something to him
You obviously did not read anything about this kid with all you mal information and ridiculous posts.
I can see how you got confused though, it was beyond a fifth grade reading level. Try reading into something like Hop on Pop or Green Eggs and Ham, You might be able to follow the plot a little and the characters are not as REAL
Lone Wolf
02-24-2008, 09:38
You obviously did not read anything about this kid with all you mal information and ridiculous posts.
I can see how you got confused though, it was beyond a fifth grade reading level. Try reading into something like Hop on Pop or Green Eggs and Ham, You might be able to follow the plot a little and the characters are not as REAL
you sure do have some pathetic heros
Fannypack
02-24-2008, 09:41
you sure do have some pathetic heros
way to go, chg the focus, why don't ya?
Lone Wolf
02-24-2008, 09:52
way to go, chg the focus, why don't ya?
shut up mouth. what focus? the kid is a dead idiot
camojack
02-24-2008, 20:28
Comparing this kid to Christopher Columbus is ridiculous.
Oh, I don't know 'bout that; they were both named Chris, and...they're both dead. :eek:
(I'm sure I could come up with other parallels, but I won't bother...)