Finally saw the film Into the Wild last night.
Compared with the many other reviews you’ve read, I have little to add:
Hirsch was great too in Lords of Dogtown. He’s got a career ahead of him.
I went to the movie with a hiking buddy, Rocco Cioncio, who had just reread the superb book by Jon Krakauer. Rocco was impressed how little the film was Hollywoodized. Director Sean Penn loves the book and obviously went to pains to stay true to the story.
I want to thank the McCandless family for letting the film go forward. That must have been very painful. I trust it was something of a cathartic resolution.
And I want to thank Jon Krakauer for having the vision to follow-up this, one of many run-a-way tragedy stories.
Krakauer has done more than anyone else over the past 10 years to bring main stream attention to the outdoor lifestyle. Yet he’s lightning rod for criticism, most of it unfair.
One new angle, to me, is the possibility that Chris and Alexander (his alter ego) was a manifestation of mental illness.
This story was published in the Anchorage Daily News recently and it was sent to me by Azzfan. The gist of the story is that the writer, Craig Medred, believes that Into The Wild, both the book and the movie, fail to tell Chris McCandless’ story because they ignore the fact that he may have been a schizophrenic. …
Actually, I don’t buy it.
What Chris McCandless did seems consistent with many other 23-year-old men. Like Krakauer. Like Sean Penn.
Certainly this is a must see movie.
Into the Wild – Amazon
besthike.com 
I’m with you Rick. Don’t buy the story either.
And the movie is excellent and very well made. Hal Holbrook was great in his small role really well done.
I dont think he wasnt crazy, infact he’s probably the most sane person iv ever read about! I get the message that he was constantly oppressed with commercialism and monetary values and just wanted to live in a world free of opression , In an enviroment that he felt comfortable in. An enviroment where he could be himself and not have to conform to live the way he others forced him to! I think that if everyone just thought about things before they followed them through then there would’nt have to be people like Alexander Supertramp!
yes, this is a must see movie.
I think the movie was great. I have alsoread the bookandI’m an outdoorsmen myself and when i graduate high school i plan on taking a similar trip as supertramp did. Although their willneer be another “supertramp” Ill be a damn good leathertramp
Funny, people thought Thourogh was crazy too.
There is no way that he was crazy. He was a rebel with out trying to be. His views did not worship the dollar as most of ours do – both wittingly and unwittingly. I will always remember and love him for it.
Like everyone else is saying I know he was not crazy. Everyones saying that, “oh he could of lived with a boy scout manual.”, but the thing is he didnt want to live with anything from our society. But he was smart enough to pack a little. I beleive that everyone wants to do this, escape from everything our society has messed up and just be free, he was just brave enough to do. I admire him and all the other people that are brave like this.
Just saw the movie, I thought it was very good. I don’t think Chris was crazy, just a very selfish, foolish young man that cost him his life. His decisions caused many others pain. I found myself having no respect for him by the end of the movie. While I can admire certain things he did, there is a right way to do things, and an immature way.
Saw this movie this past weekend, it touched me alot! I did something similar when I was 19 in the northern Ontario Canada bush, though I was way more prepared for it then Chris was, plus I had my Collins Gem SAS Survival guide with me. Really sad movie, excellent soundtrack, I dont agree either with the schizophrenia part, he was just a dreamer in a dreamless society filled with followers and he decided to live his dream and be the leader of his own life instead of just following like the rest of them though it came with fatal consequences. Looking forward to heading out into the bush this year!! Think I’ll buy the book and read it out in the bush in honor of Alex Supertramp!
I just watched the movie last night and I was so moved by this young man’s passion. I have never had the desire to escape the world as he did other than to go camping a couple of times a year.
Was he crazy? I think his desire for complete freedom made him appear crazy to those who couldn’t understand his desires. I don’t think that means that he was insain. Perhaps he was a foolish in not being fully prepared for Alaska but he did survive on his own in the wilderness for over 100 days. I don’t think a mentally ill person would have done so well. He would have made it out alive if he was able to cross the river iat the time he had intended.
I have just seen the movie “Into The Wild”, I had never heard of this man before now.I am a Canadian, and have travelled all over North America as a long haul trucker, including the sub-arctic to the diamond mines of the Northwest Territories, on the ice roads. I have read a lot of the comments on this blog, and it is troubling to see that the term schizophrenia is being thrown around so loosley.
I have had the same ideals as Chris for many, many, years.I DO suffer from mental illness, and take medication,however it is not schizophrenia…I am Bi-Polar II with mixed states..but more importantly in this case I have cluster B traits which included(Borderline,Narcissistic,Anti-social) These are behavioural traits that can easily describe Chris’ actions, as portrayed in the movie.
Until watching this film, I honestly believed I was the only human on this planet, that felt the way I do, about society, life,and other human beings in general. All one has to do is read the postings on this blog to understand what Chris’ was running away from…some of them are hurtfull and nasty…and the internet wasn’t even really around back then.Chris is a hero in my eyes….Live and let Live…Freedom is an illusion, created by the very society which enslaves us all. The moment when one realizes he/she is a slave to society, is the moment when one truly becomes free.
I saw the movie last night and i was totally moved by this brave young guy.I suddenly felt that i was so tiny ,timid compared with chris.
i think he’s kinda crazy ,but that’s exactly what most people need today to change their mind pure and make their lives peaceful!
I am chinese,glad to meet u all here!