September
24
Penn Premieres Into the Wild
Three men stood in the back of the Directors Guild theater beaming proudly at actor-filmmaker Sean Penn: producer Art Linson, Paramount Vantage head John Lesher and River Road financeer Bill Pohlad. Without them, the movie might not have gotten made.
Penn persevered for some 12 years after the book by Jon Krakauer was first published. The parents of Chris McCandless weren't ready. So finally, Penn coaxed them into letting him make the movie. He was ready, and so were they. At the DGA premiere last week, the parents were seeing the film for the third time. It's tough to imagine how that must feel; Penn did not go easy on them.
The movie has a crazy power. It's not just about a college grad who has everything going for him, but chooses to opt out of society, gradually moving beyond the fringe of migrant worker and hippy camper to solo survival in Alaska. He tests his mettle and rides rapids and confronts a bear and shoots and carves up game. He lives entirely on his own--for a while. For more than two years, he does not call his family, who are mad with worry. Emile Hirsch carries the movie with strong support from Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Hal Hobrook, narrator Jena Malone and songster Eddie Vedder, who supplied nine warm, original songs.
Penn worked hard on this carefully constructed movie. Some find it too long. Not me, I was carried along. The movie has resonance; it captures some human fantasy of escape into nature, away from the fetters of society. Some say that Penn romanticizes this character too much. McCandless could be certifiable, not right in his mind. Others find the movie just plain dull. Penn lets the audience come to its own conclusions. "His heart and soul was in it," says Linson. "He doesn't try to manipulate you into loving the kid."
Into the Wild did not play well for the Academy this weekend. Mild applause. It may not be their kind of movie. Well-written, photographed, acted, scored and edited, it may play too much like a documentary, which is a serious compliment. The actors, if not all the craft folk who have worked with him over the years, revere Penn. My prediction: there will be award season notice paid to Holbrook.
Here are reviews from the NYT's A.O. Scott and Variety. Here's Joe Donnelly's Penn cover story in LA Weekly. Metacritic gives Into the Wild a more-than-fine 76 average. Here's more on Penn and Hirsch.
Vantage could have opened it wider, judging from its huge per-screens this weekend. The movie build up huge buzz after Telluride and Toronto.
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"mild applause" seems outstanding to me when the film ends the way it does. Who in their right mind would applaud wildly at the conclusion of this film despite how phenomenal it is? It's just too deep of an ending to warrant it.
Posted by: Leone | September 24, 2007 at 09:46 AM
i don't think this picture will have the appeal on wider release that the current per screen average indicates -- hopefully i'm wrong, i just don't think general audiences will turn out for this.
'year of the dog' did great in limited release (i think the per screen was $30k+) but went nowhere after that
'into the wild' should have more heat because of awards buzz. should do fair on DVD, tv/cable, etc.
Posted by: Alan | September 24, 2007 at 12:41 PM
This is one of the most buzzed about films out there right now. College and high school students can't wait and adults from those who read the book to those who remember ON THE ROAD are anxious to see it.
And audiences are stunned.
Posted by: gary | September 24, 2007 at 01:34 PM
As much as I hate to dredge up the old "book was better than the movie" argument, I feel compelled to here. Penn is too smart and too interesting a filmmaker to simply manipulate the audience into loving McCandless, but he goes far too easy on him all the same. The genius of the book was that you finished it with admiration for this kid's idealism and fearlessness, as well as an equal degree of irritation with his stubborn, self-righteous idiocy. The film veers too close to hagiography for my tastes, and by giving in to a teary sort of catharsis at the end, it nullifies a number of the questions that McCandless' life should make you want to ask.
Everyone I know seems to love it, however, and I imagine it'll start to pick up traction before it goes wider -- although I agree it feels like it's being released with low expectations in mind.
Posted by: Andrew | September 24, 2007 at 04:47 PM
I am seriously behind on this story, and can't wait to see the movie and read the book. I've always been in awe of Penn's talent, and somewhat amused by his intensity, which appears (at least to me) to be more than passion for his art.
Posted by: bunnybeth | September 24, 2007 at 07:05 PM
This movie is a dud, a complete betrayal of the source material (Krakauer's well-written book). The critics who are praising Sean Penn's efforts all too obviously haven't read the book. Do movie critics read anything? Other than press kits?
One reviewer, at least, has branded this film "a Disney movie for beatific hippies," and how right he is.
Posted by: skippy mendrikus | September 25, 2007 at 08:53 PM