I am actually sorry that I missed seeing Into the Wild when it opened in theaters back in 2007, because it probably would have been a great experience to see it on the big screen. And that to me sums up what kind of film this is: an experience film. Everything about the story, the characters, the scenery (which is breathtaking), the interactions, and the human emotion is a pure experiential ride.

This isn’t one of those films that you watch from high up above casually being entertained by what you are seeing. Sean Penn has created a film that pulls you into the world and causes you to feel everything around you. It doesn’t matter if you believe in or agree with what Christopher McCandless is doing and why he is doing it; you are stuck with him throughout the entire journey.

I came into this film not knowing anything about the original true story that the film is based on, all I knew was that Sean Penn was directing, the soundtrack was mostly, if not totally, sung by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame, and that the story was about a guy who decided to leave his world behind and journey out into nature and chose to live amongst the trees. Sounds pretty hippy huh?

What I discovered was a movie that made me feel; feel for Christopher, feel for his family and his friends, and feel for the inevitable fate that we all knew was waiting for him in the end. What I found unique about the process I went through as I watched the movie was how my support of what he was doing faded. In the beginning I understood where the hurt came from that sent him on his journey and I empathized with him. The dishonesty from his parents and the oppression he felt from their lies was enough, I thought, to necessitate him leaving and getting out on his own.

But as the movie progressed, I became more and more sympathetic with his parents and what his journey was doing to them. They were coming to grips with their past mistakes and seeing the fruition of them played out in their son. I could feel their desperation as they learned more and more about where their son was and what he was doing. As the clues were found and as they pieced together the puzzle, you could feel the weight of their despair and see it on their faces. That affected me. I was hurting for them. I was angry at them for the way they raised him and the abuse that went on in the home, but, and maybe it’s because I am a new dad, I was angry at Christopher. His venture to Alaska and along the roads became, I thought, one big selfish rebellious act that was aimed at giving a big middle finger to his parents.

And here is where I struggled the most: I wanted him to succeed. I was cheering him on really wanted him to find what he was looking for. I longed for him to reach Alaska and experience the raw nature of the tundras. I walked along with him as he hitchhiked his way across the country in search of new meaning, silently fearing the end that I knew was coming.

Though this movie does wonders for Sean Penn’s directing career and a lot of credit goes to him for the success of this film, the most memorable performances that came out of this film, to me, were from the supporting cast. Christopher met some very interesting people along the way, the likes of Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Jena Malone as his sister, Hal Holbrook (who I thought was the best in the film, as did the Academy® since he was nominated for an Oscar for his role) and Twilight’s own Kristen Stewart-who plays a young teenage girl with her own personal family demons. Sound familiar? I thought these encounters were the defining moments of the film that helped to shape Christopher McCandless’ attitude and his life.

There’s so much to be said of Emile Hirsch’s performance as the title character. He was the perfect cast to play McCandless. His silent power, his quiet consideration of everything, and his desire to be understood really drove who Christopher McCandless really was. Hirsch didn’t audition for this role, Sean Penn immediately thought of him after he read the book the movie is based from, and that says everything. Emile’s natural and care free outlook on life, searching for truth in whatever he does – just like McCandless – carries the performance all the way through. Hirsch completely captured all of the emotion needed to portray a realistic adventurer in search of meaning and existence; he was captivating.

Is it a sad movie? Yes. Is it an emotionally exhausting movie? Yes. Is it a great film? Trust me.

Content Warning: Rated R for language and some nudity. McCandless ventures up into some mountains in Arizona and along the way passes by a nudist colony and needless to say, there are shots of male and female nudity. He also travels up the Colorado river and meets up with a Scandinavian couple where the woman doesn’t wear clothes.

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