[Movie Review] A Walk in the Woods (2015)
Director: Ken Kwapis
Writers: Rick Kerb, Bill Holderman
Runtime: 104 min
Main Cast:
- Robert Redford as Bill Bryson
- Nick Nolte as Stephen Katz
- Emma Thompson as Catherine Bryson
- Mary Steenburgen as Jeannie
- Nick Offerman as REI Dave
- Kristen Schaal as Mary Ellen
Review: by Mia
A Walk in the Woods was an uplifting comedy, framed within the experiences of two men who needed to step outside of themselves in order to find value in their identities. I expected it to be a midlife crisis meets Secret Life of Walter Mitty journey, but it turned out to be even better than that. That is a compliment, since I liked this movie even more than I like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (I like it a lot), and there's just a level of truth in midlife crises that we can't seem to escape.
In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson is having less of a midlife crisis and more of an existential one. Witnessing it is made appealing by his veteran writer wit and his hilarious nack for sarcasm. The movie opens introducing Bryson in a television interview as a travel writer forty years or so into his career. He has a wife and grandchildren to come home to and plenty of recognition for his talent as a writer. Although he can’t seem to last a few minutes without his own (hilarious) inappropriate responses getting him into awkward situations, he has made connections with plenty of people he’s known for decades, a few of which have died.
Coming home from the funeral of one of these acquaintances, the not quite retired writer feels compelled to go for a walk in his neighborhood to clear his head and ends up standing on the Appalachian trail where it passes by his suburban neighborhood.
The trail peeks his interest and a bit of research later he’s determined to tackle the 2,180 mile trail. Of course, his wife’s response is essentially: absolutely not, you’re too old. They compromise on his having to find a partner to make the hike with him. Through sheer lack of other volunteers, Bryson ends up on the trail with Katz, a friend he hasn’t been in touch with in decades.
There the humor kicks into overdrive. The two have a dynamic that doesn’t allow for more than a few moments before they’re in a hilarious predicament or nostalgic prank. All the while, they’re taking the issues they left behind in their lives. Bryson had the perfect life, yet felt compelled to leave it to trek across the Appalachian Mountains. Katz is a recovering alcoholic who has lived his life one whim at a time and now finds himself old and alone. Together they rekindle a friendship that was likely nothing but trouble in youth but becomes exactly what both need to find themselves again.
What I Liked:
The humor, the characters, the small look into hiking life framed from a writer’s point of view.
What I Didn’t Like:
Honestly, I’ll have to dig deep for something. Perhaps the length of time actually spent informing the audience on the internal struggle of both characters. We know what they’re fighting through because they say it. Then through the hilariousness of their experiences, suddenly they’ve overcome. But I could argue that’s pretty true to life.
Summary
A Walk in the Woods was actually a very funny film, filled with realistic humor and a unique old guy charm. The supporting characters all lended well to the growth of our two main characters and watching the friendship re-form really leaves you feeling like there’s no end to life, just new beginnings.
User Review
( votes)Images Courtesy of IMDB
