into the wild movie

[freemind46]

hey guys, havent been here for a while, after a trip to NB to find a land(which we did) in my wife's Matrix, i didnt have time to come back, but last week we saw the movie '"into the wild" it hit me like a brick, made me think how much i miss that liberty feeling that i had when 17 yo and on the road...<br><br>if you havent seen it, go rent it, it something to see...just waiting for your comments.<br><br>freemind46

 

[freemind46]

damm...i ment into the wild as the title<img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/rolleyes.gif" class="bbc_img">....freemind46

 

[sl1966]

Man, I'm real sorry. I wish I had good things to say about it but I really hated that movie.&nbsp;Don't get me wrong I liked the part about being young and just taking off too, but that's about it.<br><br>The older dood with the white hair who (briefly appeared) played Kristen Stewart's father is Builder Bill of Slab City. He built "The Range" outdoor nightclub there. A real nice guy and I had a blast shooting the breeze with him when I was last there.<br>&nbsp;

 

[Stillwater]

I read the Krakauer book then saw the movie a few years later when it came out. (Jon Krakauer is a fantastic author. If you get the chance, read some of his other stuff.)<br><br>Though I could agree with much of the philosophy the kid borrowed, I found myself screaming at the kid during the book and the movie not to make some of the stupid, ridiculous, foolhardy mistakes he was making. No, not the societal independence but the foolish "everything will be ok" and without the need to take care of himself, blindly hoping for luck and providence to make his way out. He died as a result of unpreparedness of mind, environment and provision.<br><br>At the time of the book, I was still teaching swiftwater rescue. I've never felt more alive than when survival is your primary concern. Whether remote, wintertime camping or multiday solo sea kayaking in Superior while miles out of sight of land. When you're in a place where each decision is one of mindfulness because your continued survival hinges on each decision made. However, to arrogantly assume your instincts and good luck will pull you through and not humbly admit you need greater training to survive on the edge... well, it was frustrating for me to read. <br><br>I honestly think I would have liked the kid. We weren't all that different at one time. I would like to think I was more humble and admitted when I needed more knowledge and respected the environment a bit more.<br><br>I think he had a good life but his death was a waste, IMHO.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I just watched this like a week ago, and I enjoyed the movie a lot.&nbsp; I think he made some very stupid decisions and didn't have to suffer his end fate, but who hasn't made some stupid decisions in our lives and our youth?&nbsp; He probably lived more in a few years than most of us have in 30.&nbsp; <br><br>Tho im scared as hell of alaska now <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[freemind46]

thanks for all the comments, really enjoy it, all different is great, .<br><br>.yes the guy frustrated alot of ppls by thinking all he needed was luck, but he reminded me so much, i did the same a few time , hitchiking, meeting pple along the way, doing not so mature stuff, living in abandonned houses and trailers ..but that was fun i'm now 47 yo and still go in the wood during winter with my son, need alot of prep(alot wiser now), &nbsp;but the guy was young and you know when your young( sometime dumb, i &nbsp;admit it) but its the beauty of it, its like jumping of a cliff and not even looking whats down there, believing ...until it hit you( crack open your head on a rock).....that what happen in the movie, i would have nevr done it his way,(believing is nice but reality hits harder)<br><br>another thing, i didnt know until the end that it was a true story( i never red the &nbsp;dvd cover) that made me feel sad,<br><br><br>but it was nice for me to relive thoses years...again<br><br>cheers to all for the new year........Freemind46.<br><br><br><br><br><br>

 

[yesican]

<p>I watched the movie...thought the kid had lots of fun without responsibility...but, with real freedom comes responsibility.&nbsp; He went off half cocked and it&nbsp;did not fare well for him.&nbsp; It should be a good reminder for people to provide for their own needs and not depend o the "nice people".&nbsp; Just like having a 4 wheeled drive--if you don't use common sense, all a 4-wheeled drive does is get you stuck deeper in the woods. And, just like this kid, sometimes you don't get out!<br><br>Rae</p>

 

[mad*sparrow]

Very good points everybody. Through his mistakes we all can learn. Sometimes arrogance of ability can get you in trouble. No man is an island and we all need to be reminded of it occasionally . I thought the movie was insightful and I enjoyed his free spirit but he didnt seem to realize how unforgiving the wilderness can be. I learned from mountainmen early in my youth that going solo also includes great risk. It can be done but at great cost and plenty of luck. Most of the guys I talked to would only do it in the summer because the winters were so harsh. I've read many biographies of the people of the western frontier and they usually survived through communities in the bleak periods. With that said, modern technology does make it easier for us but we still need to be ready for the unexpected. We need to remember that if one essential tool fails such as vehicle, phone, or food/water stores, we have to have a plan for an emergency if it happens. The further isolated we are from help the longer it takes to get get it. For this I thought the movie was great. It at least reminded me to be ever vigil and the little training that I have will help but I am nowhere near the expert that most people were a hundred years ago with survival.

 

[thinker]

chris mccandless was a sick kid.&nbsp;<br><br>penn did an amazing job with the film not only as a director in general but with the specific choice of presenting the kid without judgement.&nbsp;<br>the morals are clear and it's baffling to me how he is held up as some sort of hero.<br><br>he made bad choices. ultimately it was a suicide. he could have walked to help. he was sadistic and masochistic. he was kind too but above all, he was ill.<br><br>too often we see something enticing and admire a person for doing what we want. we live through them a bit, sometimes so much so we miss all the negatives.<br><br>

 

[freemind46]

i agree with Tank, <br><br>the kid wasnt sick at all, i would say he was smarter and he could see clearer than most ppls, he decided to go his own path, I admire that ALOT, we have too many sheeps today, not enought good leaders, i think that kid was his own leader, a freemind , he died doing was he tryed to acheive, that's alot more than average ppls, <br><br>ok he was young, lots of ppls die young of drugs ,car accidents or whatever, &nbsp;this kid went against all his family and the society to pursuit his goals, THAT IS SOMETHING you dont see too often,<br><br>he wasnt angry at society, he came from a wealthy family, he could have all the privileges, no!<br>he was &nbsp;a real true person,<br><br>we live in our cars and trucks and vans, we trie not to leave a heavy footprint, we want to be free of mind and debt,master of our time, in some way, we trie to do the same thing, avoiding the rat race.<br><br>yep this young man did a great impression on me,<br><br>R.I.P &nbsp;Chris<br><br>freemind46

 

[thinker]

think for a moment of what i said, about how we admire to the point of missing the negatives.<br><br>he didn't just strike out on his own to taste the world.<br><br>he abandoned and punished his family. there was NO reason to not let them know he was okay from time to time. he never had to let them know where he was or even hear from them.<br><br>he made a choice to suffer. he wasn't more than a few miles from help, and since buses don't grow up out of the ground, he knew it.&nbsp;<br><br>his 'diary' was... let's just say not that coherent. he was a bright kid. very bright. he had no reason to speak in code.<br><br>it's one thing to seek another life as refuge from the modern world, it's another to choose leaving this world rather than get help from it. he was likely paranoid and spiteful. i understand the wish, even the belief, that you can't make the change without a total severance from your old life, but to the end he met? no. there was illness there. if someone wants to find an antiestablishment hero, they need look no further than the screen we're both staring at. i don't believe his death lends credit to his life nor do i think poor choices, regardless of the intentions should ever be elevated to something admirable.<br><br>his life wasn't the example of how people on this site want to live, it's the example of what they come here to avoid.

 

[Guest]

Well crafted film.&nbsp; Beautifully shot, well acted.&nbsp; Sean Penn, as much as I dislike him as a person, is actually a pretty damn good director.&nbsp; The Pledge is also very good if you haven't seen it.&nbsp; <br><br>I don't really care about the 'message' of the film or the mistakes the character made, that's all irrelevant to me.&nbsp; It was a well-told story and the craftsmanship at all levels from the cast to the crew shines through the somewhat ridiculous plot.&nbsp; <br><br>A lot of people rate this film poorly and then go on about how they would have done this or that differently living in Alaska in the winter.&nbsp; That's not really anything to do with the film, that's their own egos getting in the way of their appreciation of the artistry on display.&nbsp; <br><br>It's called 'dramatic irony'.&nbsp; The audience (us) know something the character (McCandless) doesn't.&nbsp; It's a story telling technique that dates back to like ancient Greece.&nbsp; <br><br>I've never heard people criticizing Citizen Kane because they didn't like the way Welles' character ran his newspaper or saying that Alien is a bad movie because the Alien should have known Ripley was going to eject him out the airlock.&nbsp;&nbsp; Stupid Alien.&nbsp; Doesn't even know how to eat people properly...&nbsp; <br><br>It's the whole point of the film: we know McCandless is making a mistake, and he doesn't.&nbsp; <br><br>The alternative is to watch movies like Salt where the main character is perfect and lands on her feet after every challenge and at the end of the movie walks off into the sunset unscathed.&nbsp; THAT'S bad story-telling.&nbsp; There's no tension.&nbsp; <br><br>Edit:&nbsp; and yes Kate, the soundtrack is freaking awesome, have it in my car right now.

 

[katelyn]

Loved the movie when it came out so much I got the soundtrack, and yup the soundtrack is pretty awesome<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">

 

[freemind46]

i see &nbsp;society as sick, and &nbsp;since there's alot of sick peoples, its standard, so if you see a sane person(no judgemnt here), automaticaly is "insane" to the rest of us, he just doesnt conform, &nbsp;i believe living alone let you see yourself the way you really are, no mask,,,freemind46

 

[thinker]

@ 2013YotV, yeah, but i don't think anyone here is doing that. for myself, i was just commenting on the person on whom the story is based.<br><br>@ freemind. society is sick. REAL sick. but not everyone who goes against it is healthy. to vandwell, mental hygiene is a plus. this poor kid lacked it. it's not about his 'mistakes'. that word doesn't quite fit.<br>i was at a rodeo the other day and the announce mentioned one of the riders had broken both his legs in an accident with the same bull last year. here's the thing, it's not an accident. just ask the bull.<br><br>this is dangerous. he engaged in reckless, high risk behavior in spite of advice given by people who knew. he willfully put himself in harm's way INTENTIONALLY. you can live off the land, in the wild and minimize your risk while increasing your health.<br>he CHOSE not to.&nbsp;<br>he suicided.<br>that isn't heroic.<br><br>

 

[lampliter]

He died because he ID'ed a plant wrong.<br>He was smart with enough common sense to figure a way out of most situations.<br>Take your time. Draw on the knowledge of others; while giving some of your own.

 

[bantamcattle]

i'd like to direct folk to the documentary film about this person. its called Call Of The Wild, i believe. here is a link to its webpage - www.tifilms.com/wild/call_intro.htm it was filmed at the same time as the Penn flick and i found it more intrigueing.

i feel people each hav various energies at various levels in various places. i see this gentleman's story and see that all in his life brought him that life. im not sure i can evaluate a properness for him. as i pushed off to NOMADacy i thot of this story and realized it was veri different than my own, as i fight hard to stock my VANCAVE with mani pounds of organic calories and gallons of water. but i also see dilemas arise like last month as i pushed into the southern Senoran Desert Monument amongst many signs, warnings, stories and physical evidence of illegal activities. i pushed on and set up camp and soaked up the astounding beauty there. but i hiked and thot each day trying to gauge if i was being foolish or was in danger. i camped for 4days until one night i saw unlit activity not too far off and thus i knew i'd reached my point and i left. the whole time all i could do was listen to others and be myself. i think i was illogical but i think i did well with appropriateness to all the energies of me. what chatter could of persisted should i of fallen pry there! but it seems that for each of us that live noticably different, stories shall arrive after our demise. i find it a joy that this persons life has become a story and thus culture for us to climb on like a jungle gym.

 

[Trekking]

Rumor is he died of beaver fever from drinking the water. I have a buddy who flew over the "Bus" west of Denial park many times an never seen a distress signal or fire. From the air you can see someone was living at the bus. He was found frozen in his sleepingbag by to hunters weighing under 100 lbs.

 

[owl]

&nbsp;This pathetic individual was not deep thinker, certainly not a pathfinder. Role model? Glamorized by a sorry book and an even&nbsp;worse movie. Looking for something to idolize, much better candidates out there. Some can even spell!

 

[akblack10]

I really liked the movie! &nbsp;Not what happened to Chris, but the movie, yes! &nbsp;I also read the book first and that's what got me to see the film. &nbsp;I think Chris, like many of us, was looking for something more out of life than a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in a subdivision. &nbsp;From the time we are born in America, we are bombarded by advertising of what the "American Dream" should be.... the things we should have... where we should study.....the car we should drive etc... etc.... We are bombarded by the idea that self-worth and net-worth are somehow connected (NOT TRUE). &nbsp;And I think Chris lived that life early on and saw it was full of hypocrisy and decided to follow a different path. &nbsp;I have traveled all over the globe and I am happy to have an American passport, but I realize that there are MANY great places in the world and more importantly, many great people! &nbsp;The great thing about traveling is that there is always another adventure around the corner.... over the hill... &nbsp;around the bend in the trail.... there are always people to meet, to hear about their lives and say... wow... we are all a lot alike! &nbsp;