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A Strong Adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s Brave True StoryLife is full of eye-opening and harsh realities. What will you do if it hits you and knocks you down? Some might say they will go to someone whom they can share the burden with. The others might say they will just suck it up and move on. Whatever the answer is, we all have our own way to deal with our problems in life. So does Cheryl Strayed. Adapted by Nick Hornby for the film, the script is based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir ‘Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail’. The film centers on Cheryl’s decision to go on a hike, solo, in order to overcome her recent problems. Through flashbacks in the film, we will eventually see the reason why she actually experienced the problems. As the director, Jean-Marc Valee does a good job in capturing the essence of Cheryl Strayed’s adventure. He has this stylishly tender way in directing his films that can be seen in ‘Wild’. Seeing this film also reminds me of his previous work, ‘Dallas Buyers Club’, who won its stars peak achievements in acting. Speaking of that, he is also succeeded in bringing the best out of his two actresses in the film, Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. The former plays Cheryl Strayed and the latter plays her mom. This brings us to the acting department of the film. As a woman, Cheryl Strayed is flawed and complex. (SPOILER ALERT!). She cheats on her husband and abuses drugs. She is also brave and very affectionate especially towards her mother. In portraying her, Witherspoon gives a very strong and appealing performance. She makes us care about her character, which to me is one of the hardest things to do in acting. My favorite scene of her in the film is (SPOILER ALERT!) when she says goodbye to her husband. The emotion she displays there is just real and honest.
Not only Witherspoon, Dern also shines in ‘Wild’. She gives a heart-warming performance as Cheryl Strayed’s positive-minded mom. Although her part is considerably small compared to Witherspoon’s, it doesn’t mean that it’s not effective. There’s one scene that showcases Dern’s acting chops. It is when she is confronted by her daughter on how she is being so naïve in regards to the difficulties they’re facing. That scene really serves as her Oscar-moment. All in all, ‘Wild’ offers a look at how Cheryl Strayed, just like every single of us as a human being, tries to cope with problems in life. Anchored by fantastic performances from Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern, this film is definitely worth of your time. Score: 4/5
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AuthorA self-acclaimed movie guy who likes to socialize |