This film tells the story of Cheryl Strayed, a woman who walked 1100 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from the Mexican border in the south to the Columbia River on the border between Oregon and Washingtin in the north despite having no hiking experience. Interspersed with scenes of her journey we see, via flashbacks, how her life fell apart following the death of her mother and the collapse of her marriage leading to behaviour that was probably as dangerous as hiking the PCT without being properly prepared.
I really enjoyed this film; particularly the scenes of the trek. Normally commenting on the scenery before the story is a sign that something is lacking in the latter but here it is a vital part of the film... I doubt the trail would exist if it wasn't scenic. Reese Witherspoon gives a fine performance as Cheryl Strayed making it easy to believe her character is having a tough time but also is developing as the journey unfolds. In early scenes it would be hard to believe she didn't just die in the Mojave if one didn't know it is based on a real person's experiences but by the end it doesn't feel unlikely that she makes it. The flashback scenes nicely show what led somebody with no experience to try such an arduous walk. Laura Dern provides solid support as Cheryl's mother in the flashback scenes. The story provides plenty of tense moments, as terrain, weather and certain people she meets provide possible threat. Overall I'd certainly recommend this.
I really enjoyed this film; particularly the scenes of the trek. Normally commenting on the scenery before the story is a sign that something is lacking in the latter but here it is a vital part of the film... I doubt the trail would exist if it wasn't scenic. Reese Witherspoon gives a fine performance as Cheryl Strayed making it easy to believe her character is having a tough time but also is developing as the journey unfolds. In early scenes it would be hard to believe she didn't just die in the Mojave if one didn't know it is based on a real person's experiences but by the end it doesn't feel unlikely that she makes it. The flashback scenes nicely show what led somebody with no experience to try such an arduous walk. Laura Dern provides solid support as Cheryl's mother in the flashback scenes. The story provides plenty of tense moments, as terrain, weather and certain people she meets provide possible threat. Overall I'd certainly recommend this.