I read “Wild” in 2013 and caught this wilderness adventure flick last week at the Neon with a friend. We were both excited to see the movie after reading the book. Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Cheryl Strayed’s 1100 mile hike of the Pacific Crest Trail was spot on. Apparently Reese purchased the film rights immediately after the book was released in 2012. During the movie, Cheryl has frequent flash backs to her childhood and time with her mother before she passed away at an early age. The book provides more details of why Cheryl takes this courageous step to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in an effort to fight off the demons that had taken control of her life.
The scenery and acting were excellent, I’ll give “Wild” credit where credit is due. I loved Cheryl’s self talk during the movie, it cracked me up. As with most books that are made into movies, “Wild” on screen didn’t meet the high expectations of the book. She had more stops during her hike and more character development than could be shown in the film.
My recommendation is to read the book and catch the movie when it is released on Redbox or Netflix. I believe that Reese has a good chance for an Oscar nomination as “Best Actress” for her portrayal of Cheryl Strayed. If you see the movie, make sure to stay for the credits where pictures of the real Cheryl Strayed during her adventures are shown. The resemblance between Cheryl and Reese is strong, I loved the Bob Marley t-shirt. My take away from the book and movie is that one should never underestimate the importance of a mother’s role in the life of a child. We’ve got to stay strong and healthy because our children need us.
Peppermint gives the book five patties and the movie only four.
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