In WILD, the true story of a womans 1,000+ mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe, Reese Witherspoon does an admirable job of doing the heavy-lifting (both metaphorically and literally) in the film. Though clearly deserving of her Oscar nod for Best Actress, Witherspoons lead character, Cheryl isnt actually as interesting as the much smaller, supporting role of her mother,Bobbi, played by Laura Dern, who also earned a (pleasantly surprising) nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Cheryl really does not show nearly as much growth on her journey as is already obvious on Bobbis face and through her quiet restraint. Dern brings such maturity and restraint to the role, which is supplemented by the better writing of her character in the script, whereas Witherspoon earns respect for enduring such a physically and emotionally-challenging journey to survive, as Cheryl. Though the direction was at times imaginatively handled, the film seemed about 15 minutes longer than necessary and looses energy on occasion much like Witherspoons character. WILD does not need not be seen on the big screen but would make for a decent movie night at home for a foul,e if bucks via Redbox or whatever streaming service you are currently using. Grade = B-
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:47:22 +0000
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