MOVIE · 2007

Into the Wild

ActionAdventureDrama148 min

After graduating from Emory in 1992, Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) gives away his savings, leaves his possessions behind, and hitchhikes toward Alaska, determined to live alone in the wilderness. His cross-country route takes him through desert camps, farm work, and roadside friendships, with brief but lasting encounters along the way — including Jan Burres (Catherine Keener), a drifting traveler who takes an interest in him, and an aging widower portrayed by Hal Holbrook. Sean Penn's film follows McCandless across North America as his rejection of comfort and convention collides with the scale and severity of the natural world.