Out of Into the Wild

We watched Into the Wild last night. It was really good, but I was surprisingly disturbed by it.

1. This kid should have called home. Just like after I read the book, my primary sympathies were with the parents. This guy abandoned his family in search of something he chose to leave undefined. I found it incredibly selfish and cold-hearted. If he had lived, he might not look like such a remarkable young man but more of an *sshole.

2. As expected, Sean Penn is a widly self-indulgent director. The moive did not have to be 2.5 hours long. After 1 hour, we started groaning about how much was left to watch. How may times do we have to see him climb some hill and look around?!? Sean, you are not the savior of American cinema. Deal.

3. Eddie Vedder's voice once meant a lot to me. Now it's just irritatingly self-important. Much like Sean Penn himself!

4. The way this kid died is very sad. Tired, alone, and weak. I don't really relate to him and his struggle, but it is sad to see anyone go like that, especially knowing people that loved him had no idea.

All in all, it was a good movie witha few fatal flaws. It had beautiful scenery, told the story very well, and tried to embody the values this guy lived his life by. But since this guy never really told anybody what he was doing or why, and died before he could finish, it remains a story only half told.