Parents' Guide to

Into the Wild

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Powerful, tragic true story is too heavy for kids.

Movie R 2007 153 minutes
Into the Wild Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Sarah C.
Sarah C. Adult
August 6, 2016
age 16+

Amazing, captivating, wonderful

This is a sad, wonderful book. I read it during senior year English class and it was my favorite "school book" of all time. It tells a wonderful story about a young man trying to find himself. Not including the alcohol and cursing, the end of the book is what makes it 16+. I cry my eyes out every time I read it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
zeekattacklee
zeekattacklee Adult
February 14, 2015
age 14+

Step into the Wild..

Besides the A few scenes of nudity and it's amount of strong language, The Film does go by a a nice and interesting film about a man who escapes into the wilderness.. On that note, I would want to use caution when letting a younger child watch this. Otherwise, A great film For older teenagers and Adults..

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on Jon Krakauer's nonfiction best-seller Into the Wild, Sean Penn's adaptation martyrs Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) as an intelligent, idealistic, 24-year-old college graduate who gives his trust fund to Oxfam, burns the remainder of his cash, and takes off on an extended journey into the wilderness. Chris makes a life-changing impression on everyone he meets, including two hippies (Catherine Keener, Brian Dierker); a grain elevator foreman (Vince Vaughn); a 16-year-old folk singer (Kristen Stewart); and, most touchingly, a lonely elderly man (Hal Holbrook). Despite the seemingly deep human connections he fosters throughout his tramping days, Chris is single-mindedly focused on one goal: getting to Alaska and living off the land for a few months all by himself. In fact, he arrives there early in the film, camping out in a "magic" bus that had been parked long ago as a crude base camp; flashbacks fill in the two years leading up to that point. The back-and-forth between Chris' days in Alaska and his time as Alexander the hitchhiker is effective, poignantly reminding the viewer of the kind of big-hearted man he could have resumed being had he been able to walk back out of the wilderness.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (9):

Whether or not you agree with the accuracy of the portrayal, it's fascinating -- beautiful, even -- to see a young man embark on his own hero's journey. Every performance in Penn's film is noteworthy. Hirsch, who's in practically every scene of the two-and-a-half-hour film, gives a startling, career-high performance--he fully embodies Chris. The excellent soundtrack features several songs by Eddie Vedder. But one of the most impressive triumphs of the movie is its gorgeous cinematography. The "simple beauty" Chris so cherishes in nature is perfectly captured. Even in his final moments (at least in the film), Chris -- now starved and emaciated -- has nature's beauty to comfort him. If only he could have told his story himself.

In real life, the cult of Christopher McCandless has little meaning to critics (mostly Alaskan) who believe that the idealistic 24-year-old wanderer basically committed suicide. Those who don't consider McCandless praiseworthy probably won't enjoy this film adaptation.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether knowing Chris' fate ahead of time affects the impact of the movie. If so, how? If not, why? Are movies based on real lives/true stories more interesting than those that are pure fiction? Families can also discuss how you feel about Chris after watching the movie. What honorable/admirable things did he accomplish? How did he impact the people he came to know on the road? On the other hand, did he treat his parents and sister fairly? Should he have contacted his family?

Movie Details

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