Wild

No secret that I love one-man survival films (although this wasn't that type of "survival" film). Still, despite very good reviews, there was always a severe lack of hype and passion it seemed (certainly here). Maybe that's why I was so surprised. Usually this kind of heavy-edited, heavy- flashback-intercutting-with-main-story film alienates me emotionally for that reason. Too much back and forth. I had the same problem with 2007's Into The Wild, which so often prevented me from getting too involved with it. For some reason I didn't have that problem here. The actual story, as well as the dramatic ticks in the flashbacks and even in the present, aren't anything we haven't seen before dozens of times. However, the film really managed work despite that. The editing I found to enhance the film immensely, and the specific style of the intercutting with her memories managed to make the film more powerful.

I like Witherspoon just fine in Walk The Line, but it was all mostly surface-level. She was fun, but any lasting impact? Not at all. She's truly fantastic here, and she will get a very deserved nomination tomorrow. Now, everyone knows how much I'd been rooting for Laura Dern for a nomination. I hadn't seen it, but she's one of my favorite actresses. But so many reports of her role being super small, almost a cameo. Her role technically is super small, less than 10 minutes for sure, but the relationship between her and Witherspoon is the central relationship at the core here. Dern's presence is felt throughout to an incredible degree. And she really does have a meaty role for such short screen time. It reminds me of Jessica Chastain in The tree Of Life and also to Patricia Arquette in Boyhood, perfect depiction of that feeling of compassion and motherly love that is eternal. Dern is one of those actors that can move me with so little, so I don't think this was at all anything difficult for her, but either way, she manages to become such an undeniable, powerful part of the film. The editing is part of the reason that central relationship works, but the scenes Dern gets to convey her entire character are flawlessly acted and, so beautifully ethereal. I had feared for a while there that it would be such a small role she'd make no lasting impact, but of course she'd make an impact. It's Laura Dern after all.

Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern got well deserved Oscar nominations for their roles in this film. In fact, I cannot fathom how Witherspoon was denied a win.

I won't fall into the trap of comparing this film to the book. The book was the best one I read last year, and I thought it unfilmable. I was surprised at how well the film managed to capture the essential elements of the book.

The key was not the Pacific Coast Trail, but Cheryl Strayed's journey into self-discovery. The point where she fell to her knees in tears was the culmination of pain in her life, and the realization of her love for her mother.

This is definitely a film to watch more than once.

Realistic performance of Reese Witherspoon. An history about the life as it is. A movie to watch and review in your mind later. I like drama movies that you suffer as you are watching but give you things to think later, this is this type of movie. Wild is a one-character movie but the little pieces of the secondary characters are so well introduced that allows to introduce drama, fear, suspense and romanticism to the history. If I need to say something wrong about the movie is that in some passages there is lack of continuity and feels as if the movie was longer at the beginning and the director need to cut it to do it shorter.

Your life will most likely determine whether or not you like this film, whether or not it moves you.

I read the book and was not sure how they were going to make such an introspective novel into a movie but they did a pretty good job. My group of friends had mixed reactions, some of us were deeply moved (myself included) some where wondering why we were...

I felt the way her story was portrayed in flashbacks was very effective and about the only way to tell this story. It can never be as deep as the emotions in the book and it had to skim over a lot but still, for me and others I was with it was very powerful.

On a superficial side note... I wish she had looked dirtier. Her hair and clothes always looked too clean for what she was doing with very minimal hygiene.

This was a great movie and exactly what I needed! I know from now on to not listen to most of the reviews on here at all. They are the opposite of good!? This was along the lines of Into The Wild, not as good but not bad at all and worth watching. Well done! This could be called a chick flick for real women who want substance, Strength and encouragement from the female in the role. When the world gets to much and is sucking your life away- Get the heck out and walk, climb a mountain , ride a horse ! Push the boundaries of what you think you are capable of and learn! I cried , it was good. I didn't know anything about it until I watched it. I have been coming to IMDb to pick movies with good ratings and people giving good reviews. Only to be disappointed time and again. If you like the Idea of the film , you will likely enjoy it as much as I did.