Cleansing the Soul in the Magnificence of Nature

Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed in "Wild"

Movies that focus on a character’s solo excursion through the great outdoors tend to show the beauty and danger of nature as the protagonist faces the elements.  We’ve seen this in fairly recent true-story films, such as Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours” and Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild.”  

Now, we have another movie similar to those two, this time from director Jean-Marc Vallée with his latest film, “Wild,” which chronicles hiker Cheryl Strayed’s journey of self-discovery as she takes the odyssey of her life as a way to better herself from a self-destructive past.  

In 1995, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) decides to walk more than a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail as a way to heal after her mother’s death, divorce from her husband, and careless behavior.  Although she faces difficulties along the path, Cheryl will do what she can to persevere and prove that she has what it takes to turn her life around.

Reese Witherspoon provides a performance that is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring.  We learn what Cheryl has been through in her childhood and adulthood, everything that will influence her to become the strong woman that her mother hoped she would be, and we have the chance to see her transformation, a damaged individual trying to repair her life.  Witherspoon superbly displays her character’s painful history and personal achievement, as well as the moments of frustration and triumph that come with being on your own in nature, all in a performance that is one of the most emotionally rewarding of the year.

The cinematography by Yves Bélanger gorgeously frames the landscapes of the PCT and allows us to appreciate the topography of the trail every bit as much as Cheryl, scenery that anyone on such a journey through nature would be abundantly lucky to experience. 

The screenplay by Nick Hornby, which is based on Cheryl’s memoir, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” transitions between her present journey and her past, and he’s able to establish a balance between the two timelines so we are given enough focus for each.  We see the woman who Cheryl once was and the woman she’s setting out to become, and the flashbacks provide us with the reasons and understanding behind why she is going on this trek.

Just like what Jean-Marc Vallée did last year with “Dallas Buyers Club,” he has made a biographical drama where the main character is someone who, after periods of irresponsible behavior, takes on a significant undertaking as a path to a better well-being.  Vallée gives us a film that intimately follows Cheryl through her life-changing experience, and he constructs it all with a loving dedication in order for us to get to know her character.  

“Wild” brings us on travels that exemplify the determination to make oneself a better person and the power of second chances.

Final grade: A