"Wild" with Reese Witherspoon illustrates the need to live your own life, make mistakes and strive to conquer the enemy within us all while embracing the balance of safe and dangerous.
Reese Witherspoon portrays real life Cheryl Strayed who co-wrote the screen play with Nick Hornby based on her memoir "Wild: From Lost to Found on The Pacific Crest Trail." In June of 1995 rookie hiker Cheryl Strayed took 94 days to hike from California to Washington totalling 1,100 miles.
Strayed was faced with a personal decision to give up life for meaningless sex and the self abuse of heroin use. Instead, she decided to walk off her demons literally. Subtly foxy Witherspoon is a refreshing high level Hollywooder who doesn't get caught up in the big money of lame plots and redundant special effects which first embraced its audiences in 1976 with "Star Wars." For the record I consider "Star Wars" and its first two counter parts "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Revenge of The Jedi" classics. Carrie Fisher was especially eye pleasing in "Revenge of The Jedi," but I am off track.
"Wild" is not a riveting must see, but well worth a watch. Anyone who lives through self abuse, and is mentally still functional, anything is possible. Don't give up is a simple way to view the theme of "Wild," but I like it. Cheryl (Witherspoon) is devastated by the loss of her mom Bobbi (Laura Dern) and takes a dark turn into the realms of loserville. While on her arduous hike she writes, reads and reflects on life itself. Do bad decisions destroy us or do the set the path for a better life? The answer is what you personally believe.
"Wild" is a three star watch for me because it sans bombastic special effects and a story geared for 8-year-old minds.
