At first, I didn't like the character's behaviour and motives, I find it selfish to storm into people's lives, change it upside down, get them attached to you, and then leave without saying a word. But he then realised that happiness is only real when it's shared. I loved the acting, music and the great camera work. Recommendable if you are into fight club's "things you own end up owning you" theme.

What a lively movie it was...Sean Penn at his best

Into the Wild is a tragic movie based on the tragic real life story of Christopher Mccandless. Chris was different and surely his foolhardy ways were directly responsible for his death, and yet you somehow feel for the guy. A part of you wishes he made out alive from the Alaskan tundra, from that yellow bus. The book on which this film is based, Jon Krakeur, is also a must read in my opinion. The lead Emile Hirsh is more than adequate and the director Sean Penn must be commended for not just deftly directing the film but realizing the need to tell this young lad's story. This is a great nature vs man feature film all the more hard hitting because it is true.

*Spoilers*It's interesting to see how many reviews, both positive and negative, are basing their rating on what the author thought of the lead character. To me, that is a measure of how powerful the film and the subject matter are. No matter what you think of the protagonist, the film draws you in and provokes a strong emotional response. The film does a good, but not great, job of showing the events and the emotional impact of the events which drove McCandless away from home. The series of relationships he develops are well done, with well developed characters and real emotional attachments. In the end, as McCandless dies alone, we are reminded of all the times he pushed away those who tried bond with him. There are some elements which distract from the film. All of Emile Hirsch's little improv bits should have hit the cutting room floor with a heavy thud. He's just not very good at improv. The "apple of my eye" bit was embarrassingly cringe-worthy. In addition, Eddie Vedder's sophomoric lyrics make the soundtrack a disaster. I can understand why so many people are upset about the possibility of other people being led to follow in McCandless' footsteps by glorifying his quest. He was extremely irresponsible and lacking in resourcefulness. Seriously, it never occurred to him that the stream he crossed in the beginning would be impassable in the spring snowmelt? He didn't even bring a map? He could have easily hiked out if he had a map. And in the end, when he couldn't cross the stream, he didn't even try the most obvious next step, simply following the river downstream. If he had, he'd have found a cable crossing less than a mile away. Despite the flaws, this is a powerful story well told, with many fascinating characters. Hal Holbrook, Christine Keeler, and Vince Vaughn all give outstanding performances. It's well worth watching no matter what your views on the main character.