Film Experience Blog: Overheard at Work (Re: Into the Wild)

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Overheard at Work (Re: Into the Wild)

"I didn't hate it. I could see how anyone who was crunchy/granola would love it, though"
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12 comments:

Anonymous said...: I'm SOOOO granola; 9:59 AM
Anonymous said...: Talk about damned with faint praise.

Still preferred it to all 5 best pic nominees though.

Rob; 12:41 PM
RJ said...: I eat a lot of granola!

(Into the Wild was . . . fine); 12:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Hilarious. :D

I haven't seen the movie yet, but the book was truly amazing, so I really hope Sean Penn didn't just waste 200 pages of terrific (and cinematic) source material. Some shots in the trailer raised a few warning flags (cheesy birds flying against a postcard sunset), but I still have high hopes.

Have you posted an explanation for your B- anywhere, Nathaniel? I'd like to hear what you thought about it.; 12:56 PM
Anonymous said...: I really liked "Into The Wild", but like I explained to my Dad (who LOVED it) after we saw it, it seems like wish fulfillment for 45-plus year-olds who wish they'd had their "Christopher McCandless experience" and are now too old to.

That's why I'm so surprised it didn't connect with the Academy more than it did.; 1:12 PM
Emma said...: What is granola?; 2:06 PM
Beau said...: If so, I'm both in infinite quantities.; 3:32 PM
Anonymous said...: I'm not granola, and I loved Into the Wild.

Well, I am going to Vermont Law School. To study environmental law. So I guess that's pretty granola?

Mikadzuki: There are plenty of those kinds of shots - the cinematography is quite taken with the American landscape - for better or worse, depending on your perspective, I guess. I think it's 100% appropriate, given the subject.; 6:26 PM
Anonymous said...: Steve: What worried me the most was that I thought maybe Penn had taken a plastic, Hollywood perspective of nature - which would have disappointing considering how well Krakauer establishes nature as something harsh and lonely, yet alluring in its marvellous simplicity.

If Penn "gets" McCandless the way Krakauer did, then I'm all for him shooting American landscapes. I just don't want it to be an artificial collection of postcards a la the boat scenes in The Notebook.; 6:47 PM
Glenn Dunks said...: Well, I don't eat granola and I didn't like Into the Wild. The system works...; 8:51 PM
NATHANIEL R said...: banana granola is a food but it's also a term for people who are very, hmmm, nature-loving... like, for examples, hippies would be "granola" anybody who might be called "earthy" could easily be called granola. Environmentalist who are sort of anti-fashion...

it's tough to explain. I hadn't ever tried to explain it before. Maybe it's a very American concept.; 9:49 PM
Anonymous said...: Mikadzuki: I know what you mean. I thought Penn did a swell job. I know people disagree, but there it is.

What I love most about it is that Penn's take on McCandless is so compassionate-he clearly respects the passion/idealism-but he also acknowledges that Chris wasn't the most likable guy. I'm sort of confused by the interpretations that Penn glorifies (deifies?) McCandless and his journey. I thought he (and Hirsch) struck a fine balance.

Also, one of the best ensembles of the year.; 10:43 PM