Even though I like Important Movies (they make me feel smart), I have been avoiding seeing Into the Wild.  The story of Christopher McCandless’s (or Alexander Supertramp’s) journey from prestigious college graduate to starved mountain man just seemed like it would be too precious and too depressing to watch in one sitting.  Couple that with the fact that it’s written and directed by Sean Penn, a man who is talented but also precious and depressing, and I procrastinated. 

I finally watched it last night with Soulless Machine and I’ve got to say, it’s a really accomplished movie.  In many ways, Into the Wild is a traditional hero’s quest, complete with the external journey across country and the internal journey to find oneself.  McCandless’s journey is both mythic and universal, and the movie explores the hero’s relationship to nature and humanity.

But the hero is incredibly flawed.  At the beginning of the movie, he comes across as a spoiled rich kid, trying to stick it to his parents.  I felt like I’ve met many of those kids, both boys and girls, in high school and college. (In fact, McCandless at first reminded me of a kid I knew in 10th grade who transformed himself into Mr. Mojo Rising after smoking too much weed while listening to the Doors.)  As the movie continues, he slowly morphs into someone who lives in the moment, and revels in the beauty of life.  I found myself inspired by his ability to shuffle off the traditional life and tramp across the country.

Of course, as many already know, thanks to Jon Krakauer’s book of the same name, all does not end well for our hero.  I wanted to shake him and say, “Haven’t you figured it out, yet?  Get out while you can!”  He remains sympathetic but obsessively driven by his heightened sense of drive and morality.  I think that’s what is so gripping about this story.  He could have been “one of us”, but he really wasn’t. He was motivated by emotions that we all possess, but he was much more attuned to their draw, and therefore more victim to his will. 

Now, a lot has been written about this movie, and many performances were lauded. (Hal Holbrook, as a lonely old man that McCandless befriends, was nominated for an Oscar.)  But why in the world wasn’t Emile Hirsch nominated for an Oscar for his performance?  The entire movie hinges on his layered performance, and even though he never would have won against the unholy power of Daniel Day-Lewis’s scenery chewing, he should have been recognized for his accomplishment.  Other underrated performances are from Jena Malone, as the loving sister, and Kristen Stewart, as a fleeting love interest. 

I cannot say enough about this movie.  It’s part cautionary tale, part heroic quest, and I think it should be required viewing for young people, as they choose their paths in life.