Into the Wild (2007)

Writer and director Sean Penn recreates the story of Chris McCandless, a disaffected young man whose story was made famous in Jon Krakauer's book of the same title. After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, McCandless gave away his savings of $24,000 to OXFAM, burned the last few bills in his wallet, left his wealthy family without a word, and then found his way to the Alaskan wilderness after bumming his way across the country and giving himself a new name, "Alexander Supertramp." His body was eventually found by some moose hunters in an abandoned bus in remote Alaska, along with some books and notes, where he either starved to death or poisoned himself by accidentally eating toxic plants. This film is long at 145 minutes, and at times Penn romanticizes McCandless as the hero who rejects the evils of society. He was also a confused young man acting out his anger against his dysfunctional parents. This is a good film about a fascinating story that has continued to garner controversy and attention since Krakauer made it famous. A single note that was found with McCandless's body provides a very fitting moral to his tragic end.