JOIN USWild
English (A) Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Gaby Hoffman
Director: Jean Marc Vallee
Based on Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail”, Wild is a wondrous tale of guts and gumption of a woman who has lost it all in life. A biopic where Resee Witherspoon (also the producer) plays Cheryl Strayed with spunky charm, Wild is a soul-searching three-month-long, 1,100 mile, 92 days, sojourn of a grieving woman, communing with herself and nature, having hit the nadir of her self-esteem.
As Cheryl traverses into wilderness along rocky, rugged and inhibiting terrain, you are overwhelmed by her dare and determination, combating extreme and trying conditions.
The catalyst for Cheryl’s self-inflicted trek of endurance as a backpacker—all alone, on a death defying journey—is told in flashbacks through memories. Unable to reconcile with her mother Bobbi’s tragic death, as also her own indulgences in promiscuousness and drugs that destroy her marriage, Cheryl wills herself to claw back from the abyss.
Her quest to reclaim her former, respectable self sees Cheryl trudge across with tenacity and unwavering honesty, encountering companionable characters. Engagingly told by director Jean Marc Vallee of Dallas Buyers Club fame, Wild, despite its several shortcomings, has you in thrall.
The captivating cinematography by Yves Belanger adds to its allure. Given it’s her baby, Resee Witherspoon gives a bravura performance, with others lending her luminous support.
SV