Movie Review: Into the Wild

Into the Wild, or A Lesson on Reality
He graduated from Emory University, and he immediately set out to prove that an individual doesn't need industry, money, or help from anyone.

Alex's gear seemed excessively slight for the rugged conditions of Alaska's interior bush, which in April still lay buried under the winter snowpack. He admitted that the only food in his pack was a ten-pound bag of rice. He had no compass; the only navigational aid in his possession was a tattered road map he'd scrounged at a gas station, and when they arrived where Alex asked to be dropped off, he left the map in Gallien's truck, along with his watch, his comb, and all his money, which amounted to 85 cents. "I don't want to know what time it is," Alex declared cheerfully. "I don't want to know what day it is, or where I am. None of that matters."
Watch this movie. It's powerful in its simplicity, and it's lesson is excellent for someone who dreams of being a loner bent on escaping from civilization. If you want to live alone as a pioneer where nature is your god and your own work is the map to happiness, watch carefully.
When reality jumps up and devours every dream, you'll wish you had watched "Into the Wild" for its lesson. Go see Hal Holbrook. Hal's a 10. This movie is adapted from a true story, so it can't be rated. If this were fiction, it would be a 7. But, the acting is great, and Jon Krakauer's adaptation is great. This is an R, but every college student should see it for the hard lesson.