Wild (2014) (English Language)

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115min

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski …and more

Reese Witherspoon stars in this real-life account of a young woman on a downward spiral due to a tragic event in her life, who hikes 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone from the Mojave Desert to Washington State along the American West Coast to recover her former self.

Director Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club, Young Victoria) teams up with the foundation of the movie, star and producer Reese Witherspoon, to bring together a beautifully raw and moving account of a young woman’s journey from loss and pain through deterioration to re-discovery and ultimate redemption.

As the film title might suggest Wild is to some extent about the healing power of nature and our connection to it, but this film is less about the landscapes and wildlife and more about the “inner Wild” of the main character Cheryl Strayed and the turmoil that takes her away from the person her mother raised her to be.

On that note the film is also a touching story about a girl’s love for her mother played beautifully by Laura Dern, on many levels this is a “girl power” film but not in a pop-culture sense but a very raw insightful way, beyond that though it’s a real human drama that although extraordinary is also very easy to relate to.

Wild manages to be moving without being sentimental or clichéd which is a testament to director Jean-Marc Vallée’s ultra-realistic style and to Reese Witherspoon’s career defining performance, a simple but beautifully crafted and surprisingly touching little picture.