Wild (2014)

*** ½ out of ****

Like many of the really deeply emotional movies of the past few decades, “Wild”s plot sounds pretty straightforward. Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) is in her late 20s, and is looking for some direction in her life. Her mother was a free spirit but died too young for Cheryl to appreciate her constant “cup half full” attitudes, and she has been on a personal self-destructive bent for many years. Countless one night stands, drug addiction and a failed marriage have all left her at a crossroads in her life. So she decides to do something fairly radical to cleanse herself – she goes on a 1,000 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail.

Of course, she is woefully unprepared for the trek. She knows next to nothing about how to hike or camp successfully, and is trying to lug a backpack that weighs as much as she does. Some of the other trekkers along the trail call her pack “Monster”. In the early stages of the hike she is always thinking about quitting – taking the easy route to falling back into her old behavior. But she soldiers on, eventually re-discovering herself and her own strength, and becoming reconnected with the person she originally hoped to be.

All that sounds very nice and “deep”, but it doesn't do justice to what this movie shows us. First, though I have always been a fan of Reese Witherspoon, I have honestly thought of her as a bit of a lightweight as an actress. She has been very good in many roles that weren't especially demanding, and occasionally surprised us by going further than many would have in some performances. But she still always fit right into the “Legally Blond” and “Sweet Home Alabama” modes.

But here she shows us something more, and substantially more. She plays every aspect of this role with absolute authenticity. When you see her recalling her dabbles into prostitution, her drug use, her sexual carelessness..... and also her little-girl-lost and hopeless soul during the hike.... she sells it completely. Easily the best performance of her career.

And even saying THAT doesn't do this film enough justice, because you can have all that in a movie and still not ring the right emotional chords. But this film manages to ring true all the way. And one of Cheryl's great realizations in the film is described so perfectly, so succinctly, that it can't help but resonate with virtually any viewer. That realization is that she may never find "redemption" – or that she has already been redeemed and simply needs to let go of the things that fuel her self doubt.

I loved this film. Honestly, though Witherspoon's performance and that of her screen mother (Laura Dern) have been nominated for Academy Awards, I wish it had ended up in the Best Picture category as well. I understand why it wasn't – the cast is too small, the production not grand enough for the Academy to recognize it in that category.. But I would suggest that it is far better than many of the Best Picture nominees. And much more inward looking and moving.

I hope Witherspoon takes on a few more roles of real emotional significance in the future – this shows she is more than capable of delivering a knockout performance, and of carrying an entire picture on her strength. Bravo.