A Walk in the Woods (Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson)

[Holmes]

My thoughts -

A Walk in the Woods is a delightful based-on-a-true-story romp providing ample space for two great and iconic actors to relax, shine, and establish an electrifying repartee. Robert Redford plays a fictionalized Bill Bryson, a seasoned travel writer eager to rediscover and re-embrace the United States after living in England for much of his adult life. To the dismay of his wife (Emma Thompson in a small, but warm and welcome role), he decides to travel the Appalachian Trail with an old friend, recovering alcoholic Stephen (Nick Nolte). Old, inexperienced, and out of shape, Bill and Stephen prove improbable figures on the trail, but continue to put one foot in front of the other as they argue, reminisce, and encounter various colorful characters. This is a broadly drawn, easygoing comedy and may engender cynicism as a result, but it is such a pleasure and a worthy showcase for a trio of national treasures: Redford, Nolte, and the Appalachian Mountains. Primarily shot on location at the Southern end of the A. T. in Georgia, the film is a sumptuous visual experience, long on sweeping vistas and sylvan atmosphere. And the stars are perfectly matched as a comic duo: Redford exudes his specific brand of honeyed, regal American charisma as the straight man while Nolte blusters and sways as the untidily rusty foil. They trade scene-stealing duty with admirable generosity while establishing a congenial, yet testy chemistry.

A-