WILD (R)
Released by Fox Searchlight
Review by Adam Mast
In WILD, Reese Witherspoon gives one of the strongest performances of her career. It ranks right up there with her work in ELECTION and WALK THE LINE. It’s quite intriguing to consider that Witherspoon almost played Amy Dunne in David Fincher’s big screen adaptation of the Gillian Flynn novel, GONE GIRL. Instead, it now looks like she’ll be up against Rosamund Pike for the Best Actress Oscar.
In this true story, Witherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed– a woman who would go on a 1000 mile soul-searching hike in an effort to clear her mind and move on with her life. Along her episodic journey, she battles physical exhaustion, converses with a wide array of colorful characters, and confronts memories of a tumultuous past.
WILD is based on the memoir by the real life Cheryl Strayed, and I give this fearless woman props for delivering a warts-and-all depiction of the life she once led. Strayed was a lost soul, a heroin addict, and extremely promiscuous and while personal tragedy and heartache led to a lot of her seemingly volatile behavior, it was pretty clear that there wasn’t much that might lead her to a more positive path. Not even a loving husband.
Strayed’s epic hike would ultimately serve as the perfect metaphor for moving forward. No one is going to help you solve these problems you’ve created…you have to help yourself. That’s really what WILD is all about. This adaptation from Strayed and Nick Hornby (ABOUT A BOY, HIGH FIDELITY, AN EDUCATION) is pretty straight forward in its approach, and director Jean-Marc Vallee (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB) not only does a fantastic job, giving us a beautiful look at this breathtaking American landscape and delving into the grueling nature of this hike, but he effectively juxtaposes Strayed’s epic journey with haunting memories of her past.
There are a couple of heavy handed moments in WILD and there are a few reckless moments that one might question. There’s a point in this picture when it almost feels like Strayed is justifying her past behavior and while I can’t say that I completely agree with that, I wholeheartedly agree that our imperfections make us who were are. But it isn’t those imperfections that define us, it’s how we learn from our mistakes that count. WILD does a good job getting that point across. WILD also offers up a subtle yet powerful STAND BY ME style conclusion. This isn’t a life story. It’s a snapshot. It’s a story about a life that’s just beginning.
Holding it all together is a 100% dedicated Witherspoon. As WILD opens we immediately see what Strayed is up against as she prepares her ridiculously heavy pack for the rigorous road that lay ahead. This is a woman with baggage but she won’t be detoured. Witherspoon jumps head first into a role that is every bit as physical and emotional as it is uninhibited. It is her fearless commitment and power that will resonate with you after you’ve left the theater.
