Into the Wild...

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by O_V_N

No I think he could have known it was "dumb" just like any one of us would know it is "dumb" to be so ill-prepared to survive the harsh Alaskan wilderness (in winter...without much food...etc.)

Just my opinion fellas.

I feel the responses are more out of frustration that I don't love the movie.

no worries, just having interesting debate

i know many people who felt the way you did, my parents for one.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by O_V_N

LOL too true. Maybe I think he's smarter than me and that's why I can't relate...

Yea....You and I would never have even found the bus.

Honestly, I probably would have stayed with Kristen. Journey complete! Alaska is too cold.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

no worries, just having interesting debate

i know many people who felt the way you did, my parents for one.

You mean two?

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

You mean two?

no, they're an integrated unit, isn't that how the vows go?

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by Elvis

No but seeing how I dont even know anything about the story....dont think I would equte it to Pearl Habor or the sinking of Titanic.

Lol +1, no need to be rude Mikejet.

Love this movie, glad more people are enjoying it!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

no, they're an integrated unit, isn't that how the vows go?

For richer, for poorer
In sickness, and in health
Or until we disagree on movies

[repete66211]

It's a compelling story. But what makes it so compelling? The failure of idealism? Giving it all up? It's hard to say, but I can't help but think we never would have heard of this kid if he came from the ghetto or some West Virginia mining town. Reminds me of some dialog:

King: Hey, Taylor, how in the **** you get here anyway? You look educated.
Taylor: I volunteered for it.
King: You did what?
Taylor: I volunteered. I dropped out of college, told 'em I wanted the infantry, combat, Vietnam...Believe that?
King: You's a crazy ****er, giving up college?
Taylor: Didn't make much sense, I wasn't learning anything. I figured why should just the poor kids go off to war and the rich kids always get away with it.
King: Shiiit, you gotta be rich in the first place to think like that.

Indeed. I'll stick check it out.

[joe1515]

I though the book was better, but I though Penn did as good a job as he could with the movie. Emile Hirsch was very good as well. I thought Eddie Vedder's soundtrack made the movie. Although I didn't love some of the song placement.

Joe

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by repete66211

Ah yes, "men leading lives of quiet desperation". I hear you surfdude, but death is a pretty strong indication you're not doing something right. I have no problem with this kid rejecting civilization--I've thought about doing the same thing myself--but to do so in such a naive way, by also rejecting the need for basic survival skills, is the stupid part. It reeks of the freshman philosophy major, full of pie in the sky theory but possessing zero practical experience for said theory's implementation.

ok, so you're objecting to his execution, not his decision. i was more focused on the decision, and not the execution.

the latter part of your post made me smile (philosophy major), and has a lot of truth, but at the same time: why the incessant need to prove this guy is dumb/stupid? why the overfocus on execution rather than the underlying decision and theme? is it because we can't afford him being "right", and the resulting consequences for the human-drone civilization, not to mention the resulting damage to the human ego? (not directing that at you repete, but to human civilization in general)

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

no, they're an integrated unit, isn't that how the vows go?

Your parents are Borg?

Logan

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by mikejet

It's based on a TRUE STORY. Should I put a spoiler tag for PEARL HARBOR?

[Show spoiler]The JAPANESE ATTACK THE HARBOR.

There's a major difference. Everyone knows what happened at Pearl Harbor. Not everyone knows what happened to a semi-obscure person, regardless of the fact that a book was written about him. Def just spoiled the ending for ppl.

[repete66211]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

ok, so you're objecting to his execution, not his decision.

Right.

Originally Posted by surfdude12

the latter part of your post made me smile (philosophy major), and has a lot of truth, but at the same time...why the overfocus on execution rather than the underlying decision and theme?

It is a strong theme--individualism, freedom, etc. It's that theme that makes me enjoy stories like Cuckoo's Nest, The Razor's Edge, The Road, etc. Perhaps that's the problem--it's been done before, many times. But remember, I haven't even seen the movie, so I can't comment on the movie itself, just on what I've read about the guy.

Maybe the animosity some people feel for a guy that in a way said, "**** you world!" is just a way of saying, "Well **** you too buddy! You got what you deserved."

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by repete66211

Right.


It is a strong theme--individualism, freedom, etc. It's that theme that makes me enjoy stories like Cuckoo's Nest, The Razor's Edge, The Road, etc. Perhaps that's the problem--it's been done before, many times. But remember, I haven't even seen the movie, so everything I've said thus far is theoretical.

Maybe the animosity some people feel for a guy that in a way said, "**** you world!" is just a way of saying, "Well, **** you too! You got what you deserved."

i forgot that you havent' seen it yet! well too bad you know so much about it, but i'm sure you'll like the movie. its wonderfully directed.

good point on the individualism discussion and people merely responding to him. let us know what you think after you watch it.

[jebhdb]

Please forgive me if my memory is incorrect, but at the end of the movie didn't Emile's character come to the decision that he had been wrong in abandoning his family and civilization entirely. I seem to remember in his final writings when he knew he wasn't going to make it that he expressed regret about going into the wilderness alone and that life was better experienced with others. That was the message I came away with after watching the movie, but again please forgive me if I'm way off base as I haven't seen the movie in quite awhile. I do remember that I enjoyed it when I watched it though. After reading the post in this thread I hope to watch it again soon.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by O_V_N

It's as simple as that to me. Here are some spoiler tags just in case.

[Show spoiler]He was stupid because he ate the wrong food and died. He was stupid because the way out was pretty close (generally speaking) to where he was staying. He was stupid because he waited too long to cross the river.

(And hopefully no one throws the whole "but he went to Emory!" thing in my face. I grew up there, and I know plenty of common sense dummies that went there. )

All that said, I read the book more than a decade ago on one of my own cross-country treks and found it riveting. As I stated before, something was lost in Penn's movie. Sort of felt empty, and I don't think it was intentional.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion--the film is def polarizing. However, the three things you have in your spoiler tag are unfair.

[Show spoiler] wrong food? the similarity between what he thought he was eating and what he did eat is incredible. a non-native to the area would undoubtedly get them confused, book or not. he could walk out at any point? this is arguable. yes, there was a shed for hunters relatively close to him, but how was he to know it was there? if he simply walked trying to find it, he may have gotten lost and had to sleep outside instead of in a bus. crossing the river is arguable as well. not being familiar with the area, he would not have known the deal. However, the argument to negate my opinions on these three matters is this: be prepared before you undertake something as dangerous as that

So, while I too read the book and disagree with the overall assessment of the film, I def respect your opinion about it because it really is hard to get past some of those mistakes.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jebhdb

Please forgive me if my memory is incorrect, but at the end of the movie didn't Emile's character come to the decision that he had been wrong in abandoning his family and civilization entirely. I seem to remember in his final writings when he knew he wasn't going to make it that he expressed regret about going into the wilderness alone and that life was better experienced with others. That was the message I came away with after watching the movie, but again please forgive me if I'm way off base as I haven't seen the movie in quite awhile. I do remember that I enjoyed it when I watched it though. After reading the post in this thread I hope to watch it again soon.

You are correct. And he writes that he was sorry for the way he left.

[Elvis]

And the Japanese did not attack Pearl Harbor Mikejet....it was the Germans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8lT1o0sDwI

[RockChalk]

I love how some of the people who love Avatar are picking apart the story and plot in this movie...

[AeroK]

got it on hd dvd. it was a decent movie, i really liked the soundtrack.