Is " A Walk In The Woods" book still going to be filmed?

[Driver8]

Possibly the first time I have ever disagreed with you. Worst books I've ever read:

1. Moby Dick
2. A Walk in the Woods
3. Anything by Dan Brown

Disagree sharply on 1 and 2. Moby-Dick is the great American novel, imo, greatest to date, among the world's great works of literature. Love AWITW. It's relatively lightweight stuff, but charmingly written - a fun, easy read and a fine introduction to the Trail. Dan Brown - meh. Enjoyed 2/3 of Davinci Code and thought it fell apart in the final third. ...

[4eyedbuzzard]

I thought Redford already bought the rights, and the book was a best seller.

Yeah, but almost every best selling book gets film rights to the story sold or "optioned". Then a movie script based on it has to be written (you can't film a book). Lots of issues here - good books don't necessarily make good movies - the mediums are very different. Then there are all sorts of steps and hurdles with investors, financial accountants, producers, directors, etc. before and if anything ever happens. Most options simply expire and never become films for a myriad of artistic, financial, logistical, or other reasons.

[Panzer1]

any movie they make will have nothing to do with reality. It will be all fiction. Hikers will hate the movie because they will claim it gives a false impression of life on the trail.

real hikers know how boring life on the trail is. You could never show an accurate account of life on the trail because it would just be too boring to watch. You would have to have a lot of "make pretend".

Panzer

[TrailSquirrel]

it'd be kinda hard to make a full-length movie about a thru-hike that for all practical purposes ended in Gatlinburg.

I think it would be a great movie. I really enjoyed the book Bryson can tell a great story. redford however my be a bit too old though.

[veteran]

[QUOTE
OK, I liked the tent thingy, where do you get one of those! [/QUOTE]

http://www.smileyarena.net/download.aspx?id=3653

[Roche]

[QUOTE=max patch;1061770]At 74 years old, Redford could play the role of the old fart who has to get up and pee 3 times a nite and annoy everyone in the shelter.

IF the movie gets made expect Redford to have a bit role; hostel owner or something.[/QUOTE)
Hey - I pee during the night, perhaps I could play the part of Redford playing the part the old fart.

[Odd Man Out]

Casting a bit younger, I could see Jack Black playing Katz. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the book, it was fun in parts. I especially liked the bit where Katz struggled up the approach trail to Springer Mtn casting aside pounds and pounds of stuff, including most of their food. Not really LNT hikers, eh?

[trailangelbronco]

Maybe in the filming process it may come out that Bryson never actually spent one night on the Trail. And Katz is a fictional character.

You would think that Old Bill would have a few pics to share from the trail. A few point and shoot's or 30 second clips of his campsite, Katz bitching and moaning, that kind of stuff.

[Driver8]

Casting a bit younger, I could see Jack Black playing Katz. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the book, it was fun in parts. I especially liked the bit where Katz struggled up the approach trail to Springer Mtn casting aside pounds and pounds of stuff, including most of their food. Not really LNT hikers, eh?

I see Paul Giammati as Bryson and Zach Galiafinakis as Katz (or Robbie Coltrane - Hagrid from Harry Potter - dunno if he has comic chops). Redford as a Maine inn-keeper or older, grizzled veteran section-hiker encountered on the way would be cool.

[Dogwood]

I want to play the part of the annoying gearhead thru-hiker who keeps trying to entangle Bryson (Robert Redford) into annoying unwanted gear related discussions or, perhaps, play the part of a philosophical thru-hiker with a I live to Hike I Hike to Live attitude.

In 2006, on the AT, I got the lowdown that some folks associated with the film were interviewing hikers along the trail to be used in bit appearances and as extras. They interviewed me, took my pic, and personal info. Wait, that brings up a thought! They are the ones who stole my identity. Only kidding. They really were interviewing real hikers for parts in the movie.

[veteran]

You should read his book, an account of his 1970 thru-hike, "Appalachian Hiker: Adventure of a Lifetime", which includes his daily diary and one of the first compiled "data sheets" for the AT. Up until Garvey's book was published, less than 50 people had reported thru-hiking the AT. By the end of the 1970's close to 800 people had. And it just kept on growing from there. There were other motive forces, such as better and lighter weight gear from Dick Kelty and others, and the availability of synthetic fabrics that lightened everything, along with a general renewed interest in the outdoors. But Garvey's hike and book forever planted hiking fever in a generation of new hikers.

Beyond Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery, and Arthur Perkins - who pretty much built the AT, no one has likely had as great an influence as Garvey, who served many roles in the ATC including Secretary of the ATC, President of the PATC, and also helped spearhead the National Trails Act of 1968 and pushed for funding for land acquisition along the AT and establishing the AT corridor.

The book that got me interested in the AT, a good read.

[Dogwood]

...after all, it'd be kinda hard to make a full-length movie about a thru-hike that for all practical purposes ended in Gatlinburg. - Jack Tarlin

What some, actually quite a few folks, DO NOT realize is that AWITW IS NOT, I repeat, IS NOT a documentary or factual account of a complete thru-hike or based totally in reality or truth!!! While I read AWITW twice and it was certainly entertaining and hilarious at times IT IS A WORK OF FICTION!!! Some have a HARD time distinguishing the difference between fact and fiction. AWITW was written to sell an entertaining book. Although, it may contain and mention actual places, people, events, etc etc IT IS NOT totally real. Let me kindly say that it contains quite a few embellishments!!! It's no different with the popular fictional best sellers written by Dan Brown!!! These books of fiction contain conjecture, opinion, and quite a bit embellishing story telling!!! Sorry to burst some folks illusions!

[rickb]

Possibly the first time I have ever disagreed with you. Worst books I've ever read:

1. Moby Dick
2. A Walk in the Woods
3. Anything by Dan Brown

I tried to ready Moby Dick once. There is a trail connection, after all.

From Wikpedia's entry on Mount Greylock:

Melville is said to have taken part of his inspiration for Moby-Dick from the view of the mountain from his house Arrowhead in Pittsfield, since its snow-covered profile reminded him of a great white Sperm Whale's back breaking the ocean's surface.[16] Melville dedicated his next novel, Pierre, to "Greylock's Most Excellent Majesty", calling the mountain "my own... sovereign lord and king".

[Luddite]

...after all, it'd be kinda hard to make a full-length movie about a thru-hike that for all practical purposes ended in Gatlinburg. - Jack Tarlin

What some, actually quite a few folks, DO NOT realize is that AWITW IS NOT, I repeat, IS NOT a documentary or factual account of a complete thru-hike or based totally in reality or truth!!! While I read AWITW twice and it was certainly entertaining and hilarious at times IT IS A WORK OF FICTION!!! Some have a HARD time distinguishing the difference between fact and fiction. AWITW was written to sell an entertaining book. Although, it may contain and mention actual places, people, events, etc etc IT IS NOT totally real. Let me kindly say that it contains quite a few embellishments!!! It's no different with the popular fictional best sellers written by Dan Brown!!! These books of fiction contain conjecture, opinion, and quite a bit embellishing story telling!!! Sorry to burst some folks illusions!

How would you know?

[Panzer1]

they have made movies about everything. Sooner or later they will get around to making a "Walk In The Woods" movie.

Panzer

[mateozzz]

The best thing for the trail would be if they made a movie about people getting tortured and murdered on the AT. Make it scary as hell and also make it rain and snow all summer. Make the trail look like a horrible place to be.

Then, we could all change our WB names to names like killer hiker, Jasonhikes, stuff like that.

Scare the hell out of the LL Beanr's.

The business owners in the coastal towns in the 70's hated the movie Jaws, but the residents loved it.

Actually, when I hiked the CT section in 2008 they were filming scenes for a slasher movie at Bulls Bridge. It is some sort of Wes Craven movie, I'm not sure if it every mentions the AT directly. I think the current title is 25/8 if you want to google it.

[Jester2000]

...after all, it'd be kinda hard to make a full-length movie about a thru-hike that for all practical purposes ended in Gatlinburg. - Jack Tarlin

What some, actually quite a few folks, DO NOT realize is that AWITW IS NOT, I repeat, IS NOT a documentary or factual account of a complete thru-hike or based totally in reality or truth!!! While I read AWITW twice and it was certainly entertaining and hilarious at times IT IS A WORK OF FICTION!!! Some have a HARD time distinguishing the difference between fact and fiction. AWITW was written to sell an entertaining book. Although, it may contain and mention actual places, people, events, etc etc IT IS NOT totally real. Let me kindly say that it contains quite a few embellishments!!! It's no different with the popular fictional best sellers written by Dan Brown!!! These books of fiction contain conjecture, opinion, and quite a bit embellishing story telling!!! Sorry to burst some folks illusions!

Hmmm. Well, I suppose the people whose illusions you're bursting include the publisher, the DDC, and the Library of Congress, all of whom categorize the book as non-fiction, as in not fiction. Here I'll add some exclamation points for emphasis: !!!!

I agree with you completely that it is full of embellishments. I know for a fact that Bryson was not where he says he was on Memorial Day Weekend. Nonetheless, the book purports to be non-fiction, and is categorized as such by every system for categorizing books out there, including the shelves of your local Barnes & Noble.

The accurately described problems you mention with this supposedly non-fiction book has a lot to do with the problems many people have with it.

[Luddite]

I know for a fact that Bryson was not where he says he was on Memorial Day Weekend.

Where did he claim to be and how do you know he wasn't there?

[restless]

Where did he claim to be and how do you know he wasn't there?

Luddite,
I noticed your age (23) as well as the year of your thru hike (2011). I think considering Jesters hiking history, he knows what he's talking about. Besides, how would you know where Bill B was on Memorial Day. Weren't you like 11 when the book came out? just wonderin there,expert.

[Luddite]

Luddite,
I noticed your age (23) as well as the year of your thru hike (2011). I think considering Jesters hiking history, he knows what he's talking about. Besides, how would you know where Bill B was on Memorial Day. Weren't you like 11 when the book came out? just wonderin there,expert.

I was curious how he knows he wasn't there. I believe him.

Take a chill pill.