Wild

Oscar nominee Reese Witherspoon delivers her most fearless performance since her Academy Award-winning turn in Walk the Line in this adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's bestselling 2012 memoir, which follows the author's grueling 1,100-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail—from the Mojave Desert near the Mexican border to the mountains of Oregon and Washington. Determined to leave behind the drug abuse and sex addiction that torpedoed her marriage following the death of her mother, Cheryl (Witherspoon) embarks on her own cathartic walkabout. Weighed down by an overstuffed backpack and hampered by too-small hiking boots, our woefully unprepared heroine trudges into the wilderness and resists relentless urges to give up. Frequent flashback memories help fuel her determination, particularly emotional recollections of her spunky, ever-optimistic mother (Oscar nominee Laura Dern), who walked out on an abusive husband to raise Cheryl and her younger brother by herself, but later succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 45. Director Jean-Marc Valée delivers an emotionally volatile character study, augmented by colorful supporting characters, evocative imagery, and magnificent vistas, while dropping in unabashed plugs for camping supplier REI and Snapple. The inspiring story of an arduous journey of self-discovery, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary (by director Jean-Marc Vallée, and producers Bruna Papandrea and David Greenbaum), behind-the-scenes featurettes (28 min.), the production segments “The Real Cheryl Strayed” (9 min.) and “Experience the Pacific Crest Trail” (2 min.), a photo gallery, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are “The Real Location is the Best Location” featurette (9 min.), “How Much Does a Monster Weigh?” segment on Cheryl's backpack (4 min.), deleted scenes (8 min.), a Pacific Crest Trail interactive map, and bonus digital and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for this solid adaptation of Strayed's bestselling memoir.] (S. Granger)