Wild

Rating: 4/5

In a daring performance by Reese Witherspoon, Wild is a grueling true story about overcoming your past and starting anew.

In the year 1995, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) makes the decision to hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail, in hopes to leave her troubled and toxic life behind.

While hiking on the trail, she is plagued with flashbacks of the loss of her mother, and the downward spiral that followed. With every painful memory that resurfaces, she finds a new triumph on the trail, slowly bringing herself closer to a fresh start.

Though Reese Witherspoon has won an Oscar in the past for a dramatic role, she is far more well known for her work in romantic comedies; so seeing her performance in Wild was quite a break from the mold. Her portrayal of Cheryl is incredibly gutsy, as her character goes through an almost unbearable amount of emotional turmoil throughout the film. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to channel the energy that is needed to make those scenes appear believable.

The use of flashback in the film is quite incoherent and choppy, but it works for the style of the story. As Cheryl is hiking the trail, her ability to think clearly is ever so slightly beginning to fade, and that is when her memories become more vivid. It is only then that we see the glimpses into her past, which are only given in quick bursts; causing the viewer to piece them together like a puzzle in order to discern the events that caused Cheryl to hike the Pacific Crest Trail alone.

The only really negative thing that I could say about Wild, is that it is definitely not an easy film to watch. That being said, the movie wouldn't be as impactful had it shied away from the grittier aspects of Cheryl's story. If someone were to go into the film expecting it to be a hiking survival film, they would be pretty shocked at some of the images on the screen, but they are necessary in order to get the full scope of the plot.

Overall, I don't think I could say that I loved Wild, but I most certainly couldn't say that I didn't like it. It is one of those films that you don't necessarily enjoy, but you still are able to take something away from it. Those types of movies are important, they just aren't ones that you can watch on a daily basis. Final statement; definitely worth a watch, but not for the casual film goer.