Mile... Mile & a Half

Great movie about hiking the John Muir Trail. One thing I feel good about is not all of them look healthier than me. I could do this. Inspired. Interesting from beginning to end. Hi I am reviewing this movie from the perspective of a non-fiction movie about nature or sport. In that category it could not be much better.

Amazing views, well edited, feel like in the mountains! One of the best movies ever made.

This is a really well put together film. Before it was released, I was only hoping for a really good documentary on the Muir Trail, but after seeing it, I realize it's about the people that visit the Muir Trail and as one of the participants put it, it's not about the places you go, it's the people you choose to do them with. Everything about this film is well done, from the cinematography, to the great music written by Opus Orange, to the great sound, to the storyline. The original intent was to come back from the hike and create a short, 3 minute feature, but upon their return they discover they have over 30 hours of footage. Raising over $80,000 for post-production on Kickstarter, they create more than a collection of footage, they make a real movie. It is inspiring and enlightening and makes you want to go hike the Muir Trail. This is 90 minutes well spent.

I've hiked the JMT for years, usually as a solo but sometimes in groups. This movie is very true to the crazy, collective experience of the trail. It catches the exhaustion, the exhilaration, the inevitable problems that arise, the feeling that the trail is going on forever. Every JMT hiker who has seen it has been very, very impressed with how well the experience has been captured.

I am not the movie expert that many reviewers here are, but I at least think it holds its own as a documentary. Good humor, great visuals, and the sound recording is awesome and really adds to the film. I bought the DVD after viewing the film in a preview session and I plan to show it to anyone who asks me about the experience.

As an avid hiker I was a little hesitant to hit play on this one. The film screen captures made me think I was about to watch a documentary about a bunch of novice, out of shape, middle aged hikers slog the JMT. What I found was a heartwarming and inspiring chronicle of a group of friends/artists sharing their collective experience unplugging from the world for 25 days and immersing themselves in the back country.

When I was 19-25 years old with no wife, kids or job it would be easy to dismiss this as not a big deal. However, at 45 I have a lot more appreciation for someone stepping away from it all and taking the time out do a hike like this.

I thought the scenery and images filmed during the trip were amazing and showing the dynamics of friendships that started the trip and the ones developed along the way really showed the bond that exists among hikers. I think I have watched about every Everest, Eiger and K2 documentary around and as good as they are, they all lacked the soul and cheerfulness of this film. The story follow the hikers as they settle into their routine surviving through the early physical adjustment (Feet), letting go of their life back home and settling in to appreciate the beauty around them.