Wild

Reese Witherspoon Director: Jean-Marc Vallée Jean-Marc Vallée

Overview

Adapted from Cheryl Strayed's best-selling memoir of the same name, director Jean-Marc Vallée's Wild stars Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon as a self-destructive divorcée who seeks to conquer her demons by hiking 1100 miles across the Pacific Crest Trail. Cheryl was just 22 years old when her mother Bobbi (Laura Dern) died of cancer in 1991. As children, Cheryl and her brother watched their mother endure intense suffering at the hands of their mentally and physically abusive father, and Bobbi was just getting her life together when she fell gravely ill. The loss was too much for Cheryl to take, and before long she sank so deeply into heroin addiction that it destroyed her marriage. Four years later, Cheryl has hit rock bottom. She knows that unless she makes a change, the future she had once hoped for will slip permanently out of reach. Later, as Cheryl begins her arduous journey through the wilderness, those painful memories come flooding back as she encounters numerous dangers and disheartening setbacks. However, the kindness of strangers helps her summon the courage and endurance she'll need to stay the path.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/31/2015
UPC:	0024543971658
Original Release:	2014
Rating:	R
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Region Code:	A
Time:	1:55:00

Special Features

The real Cheryl Strayed; The real location is the best location; How much does a monster weigh?; Pacific Crest Trail interactive map; Deleted scenes; Behind-the scenes featurettes; Audio commentary; Experiencing the Pacific Crest Trail: a special message form Cheryl Strayed; Gallery

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Reese Witherspoon	Cheryl
Thomas Sadoski	Paul
Michiel Huisman	Jonathan
W. Earl Brown	Frank
Gaby Hoffmann	Aimee
Kevin Rankin	Greg
Laura Dern	Bobbi
Mo McRae	Jimmy Carter
Keene McRae	Leif
Brian Van Holt	Ranger
Cliff De Young	Ed
Will Cuddy	Josh
Leigh Parker	Rick
Nick Eversman	Richie
Ray Mist	Joe
Randy Schulman	Therapist
Cathryn de Prume	Stacey
Kurt Conroyd	Greg's Friend
Ted DeChatelet	Greg's Friend
Jeffree Newman	Greg's Friend
Lorraine Bahr	Lou
Jerry Carlton	Dave
Kevin Michael Moore	Spider
Debra Pralle	Saleswoman
Gray Eubank	Doctor
Anne Sorce	Nurse
Charles Baker	T.J.
J.D. Evermore	Clint
Beth Hall	Desk Clerk
Jan Hoag	Annette (Frank's Wife)
Carlee McManus	Notary
Art Alexakis	Tattoist
Anne Gee Byrd	Vera
Evan O'Toole	Kyle
Jeanine Jackson	Lecturer
Jason Newell	Cheryl's Dad
Barry O'Neil	Young Suit #1
Richard Morris	Young Suit #2
Bobbi Strayed Lindstrom	Cheryl (6 Yrs Old)
Robert Alan Barnett	Man At Gas Station
William Nelson	Leif (3 Yrs Old)
Tony Doupe	Man Behind Counter
Dan Considine	Weird Dude
Andrew Saunderson	Outdoor Store Clerk
Greg James	Man At The Hotel Bar
Orianna Herrman	Paul's Girlfriend
Brian Borcherdt	Grateful Dead Cover Band
Eric D. Johnson	Grateful Dead Cover Band
Matt Pascua	Wayne
Edric Carter	Male Nurse
Matthew Noyes	Grateful Dead Fan Musician
John Dickerson	Grateful Dead Fan Musician
Denise McSweeny	Toll Booth Operator
Alina Gatti	College Freshman
Henry Shotwell	Son Of Man At Gas Station
Cheryl Strayed	Woman in Truck

Technical Credits

Nick Hornby

Jean-Marc Vallée	Director
Yves Belanger	Cinematographer
Melissa Bruning	Costumes/Costume Designer
Jesse Evans	Camera Operator
Jeffrey Harlacker	Associate Producer
Nick Hornby	Executive Producer,Screenwriter
Susan Jacobs	Musical Direction/Supervision
T.K. Knowles	Associate Producer
John Mac McMurphy	Editor
John O'Grady	Associate Producer
John Paino	Production Designer
Bruna Papandrea	Producer
Martin Pensa	Editor
Bill Pohlad	Producer
Reese Witherspoon	Producer
Nathan Ross	Executive Producer
David Rubin	Casting
Chuck Ryant	Associate Producer
Greg Schmitt	Camera Operator
David Seoane	Camera Operator
Cheryl Strayed	Associate Producer
Bergen Swanson	Executive Producer
Javiera Varas	Art Director

Editorial Reviews

On paper, Jean-Marc Vallée's Wild carries the unmistakable whiff of Oscar bait. Adapted from the memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, the movie gives Reese Witherspoon the chance to portray a former drug addict who undergoes a physical, mental, and emotional transformation during a grueling, months-long solo hike. But thanks to a solid script by Nick Hornby, the film has a gentle modesty at its center. Vallée is less interested in making a universal story than in telling a singular one, and in doing so he's crafted an intimate epic. Witherspoon plays Cheryl, a homeless young woman who, after a dark period of drug abuse and promiscuousness, pledges that she will hike hundreds of miles along the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Portland, where she will begin a new life. Along the way, she wrestles with guilt over her behavior and grief from her mother's death. And that's in addition to physical hardships like having ill-fitting boots, running out of water, and being menaced by men who might take advantage of a woman traveling alone though the wilderness. Vallée does an artful job of composing the film visually. The hiking sequences are brutal and beautiful, sometimes simultaneously. They are intercut with flashbacks and montages that reveal Cheryl's often fraught childhood, her close relationship with her mother (Laura Dern), and the self-destructive tailspin that led to the demise of her marriage. The juxtaposition of these scenes puts us in Cheryl's headspace as she comes to terms with her emotional troubles and discovers that the world is bigger and more beautiful than she's let herself realize. Reese Witherspoon has always been an ambitious actress, one who took control over the material she wanted to appear in far earlier in her career than many of her contemporaries. She has a producing credit on Wild, and she gives a performance that is tailored to the film's needs rather than her own awards glory. Sure, she has a couple of powerful scenes, but the movie earns them because Witherspoon has kept her character grounded in real behavior instead of endless pathos. What makes Wild worthwhile is the way it draws a parallel between the physical and emotional journeys Cheryl forces herself to undertake. Both seem incredibly arduous, but not impossible. Wild isn't about overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds; it's about the necessity of working hard to become a better person. Cheryl's issues are, in truth, rather mundane. That's not to say they aren't serious, just that there are a great number of people in the world who have problems like hers. One of the best scenes in the movie shows Cheryl failing to connect with a traditional therapeutic approach. That's a key sequence because it makes plain that those in the throes of emotional turmoil and/or drug addiction aren't inherently weak or unredeemable. Wild is a lesson about how strength and perseverance go hand in hand with leading a better life. It's an inspiring piece of work that leaves you with the knowledge that you don't have to move mountains to improve yourself, you just need to do whatever you need to do. It won't be easy, but it can be done.

All Movie Guide - Perry Seibert