Movie Review: Wild

Wild (2014) 

Directed by Jean Marc Vallee

Written by Nick Hornby 

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski 

Release Date December 3rd, 2014

Published December 1st, 2014 

I fell in love with Cheryl Strayed in "Wild." As played by Reese Witherspoon as a lost soul with her heart on her sleeve, with those big, beautiful, Reese Witherspoon eyes, it's nearly impossible not to fall for her. Add to that a highly compelling journey through rain, snow and creepy backwoods hunters, and you have the makings of awards-worthy entertainment.

Strayed was a troubled woman, especially in the wake of her mother's death. She began using heroin and sleeping around, and it cost her marriage. To right her ship and get clean, she chose a measure nearly as extreme as her attempts at self-destruction. In 1995 Cheryl set off to hike from Mexico to Canada: the Pacific Crest Trail. 

The film begins with Cheryl, who never has been much of a hiker before, building a comically over-sized pack that other hikers nickname “The Monster.” Watching Witherspoon struggle to stand under the uneasy weight of her pack is quite funny but also rather poignant. Cheryl put nearly her entire body weight on her back, a perfect symbolic representation of the emotional baggage she was attempting to shake on this journey. 

I love stories about compassion, and this is indeed a deeply compassionate story, filled with characters who come to admire and assist Cheryl as she makes her incredibly challenging journey. Pruitt Taylor Vince is up first as a rancher who gives Cheryl a place for a warm meal and a hot shower after she's found herself in the middle of nowhere with the wrong kind of cooking torch. Vince comes off as a creep initially, but soon becomes Cheryl's first new friend on the trip. 

Tracking her progress and sending care packages is Cheryl's former husband Paul (Thomas Sadoski). The relationship between Cheryl and Paul is moving, even though Paul is only a minor character in the story. The letters he sends Cheryl during her journey and the flashbacks to their time together while she was falling apart are powerful and evocative of two people who love each other but can't take the hurt anymore. 

The story of "Wild" is exceptionally well-told thanks to director Jean-Marc Vallee ("Dallas Buyers Club"), writer Nick Hornby, and cinematographer Yves Belanger. Many will argue that it’s easy to make the Pacific Crest Trail look beautiful. But it’s the way in which Belanger captures Witherspoon against that beautiful background that makes it stand out. The film was shot almost entirely in natural light, with a handheld camera but without the usual clumsiness of a handheld. 

Witherspoon is remarkable in "Wild." She gathers the contradictions of Strayed -- her wounded pride, her deep well of grief and her surprising grit -- into one of the most compelling and entertaining performances of the year. 

It's nearly impossible not to fall in love with Cheryl Strayed. I dare you to try.