Every once or more in your life, there’s got to be one time where you can’t help but feel lost and lost sight of who you are. Some people can keep balance, some people can’t. For Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon), the amount of pain is too big, she started to ‘escape’ to her darker side. It ruin her life system that much that she needs to picking herself together, starting with hiking alone to the Pacific Crest Trail.
The movie started when Cheryl about start her journey. She managed to provide all things alone to support her journey, like cooking, making the tent, crossing over a big rock and river, and snake. She meet people on the road, the nice ones and the bad. The thought of quitting always tempting her head, at one point it’s too far to get back. Between and through the long walk, she remember glimpse or the devastating experience she’s gone through before, that led her to the hiking. Until she finally retrace her mistakes and pain, and discover what’s blocking her happiness.
“There is a sunrise and a sunset every day and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty.”Wild (2014) was based on Cheryl Strayed memoir, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. A true tale about Cheryl’s hiking journey, a New York Best Seller and selected for Oprah Book Club. Reese Witherspoon also produced the movie. It’s directed by Dallas Buyers Club (2013) director, Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Nick Hornby, who wrote the screenplay of An Education (2009).
-
People mainly travel alone to rediscover themselves, and many said that it’s a good thing to do at least one time in your life. Aside from challenging themselves and love the activity, many people travel alone has gone through big problems. They chose to do it mainly because it will provide an amount of time to be themselves and retrace their previous steps. It’s one quality alone time in hopes to rediscover yourself. Because there should and always be barrier in doing journeys, and when you can pass it alone, you feel proud.
Movies with true stories about hiking or traveling alone theme have exist before, like 127 Hours (2010) and Into The Wild (2007), but they have men as their lead. Not many women dared to do hike alone since it require physical strength. Not to mention the danger for a woman being alone on the road is twice harder than men. That’s one reason to admire Cheryl Strayed, for her commitment for doing hiking alone despite the danger and the harsh weather. It isn’t a quest for the spoiled and she didn’t easily panic when she felt danger. Carrying that big backpack itself is a big challenge, and seeing it on Reese’s slightly small figure was something.
It can’t be denied the pain she has gone through can trigger resistance on herself or make her lose her balance. While she did tried therapy, but she can’t accept or believe it would help her. Losing someone who used to have large part of our lives can take time to get used to, but for what it’s worth we can always remember and apply the positivity one created in our lives.
It’s Reese Witherspoon serious project as an actress after winning an Oscar in 2005 film, Walk The Line. It’s good to see her back after a series of common romantic comedy. But she did showed her quality in Mud (2012) though her portion isn’t big. In Wild, she showed a good portrayal of a woman with serious commitment of turning her life around, after having a rough phase of loss and separation. It’s not an easy role as it seems the shooting automatically happened mainly outdoors with it’s difficulties.
I also loved Laura Dern in the movie, since she delivers a simple, humble and loving woman who influenced Cheryl Strayed. I specifically loved the scene where she smiles and Cheryl asked, “Why are you so happy?” and mentioned their debts and money difficulties. Her answer is simple but it’s something we often forgot since we often too focused on our shortage.
I think what we should remember from Wild is if we want to change our life positively, start with serious commitment to do so and take some time apart to digest and heal. With that and hard work, there’s a reward in return. After having bad phase and doing mistakes, we’ve got nothing to lose but bounce back and live well. I can understand if this movie can make some women do their hiking alone, but the ones that can reach their aim in the end surely is an amazing woman. I loved Wild because basically it’s a movie for women and their survival, and the sacrifices we make that people often forgotten.
Score :
