Wild Free Movie Friday at PVCC

There was an air of camaraderie at Free Movie Friday. PVCC’s Dickinson Theatre was packed. Almost every seat was taken, including those on the first row. The moviegoers, Charlottesville residents and fans of all ages, arrived early and seemed anxious to enjoy another free movie.

The viewers were there to watch the true story of one woman who abandoned everything and made a trek across the Pacific Crest Trail. Twenty-two year-old Cheryl Strayed walked into the wild.

Wild, a film directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, written by Nick Hornby, is based on Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 book Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. The book was a #1 New York Times bestseller. The movie featured actress Reese Witherspoon, as Strayed, and Laura Dern, as Strayed’s mother. Strayed was facing challenging events in her life, including the death of her beloved mother. Soon after her mother’s death, Strayed went through a difficult divorce and began to rely on drugs and sex to cope with the pain; she felt as though she had lost everything.

She decided to risk it all and walk over 1,000 miles.

Wild tells the story of Strayed’s daring quest to conquer the Pacific Crest Trail, a stretch of territory from the Mohave Desert to Washington State. Not only did Strayed attempt to walk the trail, but she also did it alone.

John Brickman sat in the audience with his wife. “I like rooting for the underdog. Whoever thought [Cheryl Strayed] would walk all the way across the coast? Not me,” he said.

Strayed encountered many obstacles along the way. An inexperienced hiker, Strayed struggled to manage the hardships of the great outdoors, such as wild animals, unruly fellow hikers, and boots a size too small.

Emily Johnston, a 35-year-old schoolteacher, enjoyed the film. However, she said she liked the book much better. “The movie didn’t seem to follow the book too closely,” she said, “I felt like there was too much emphasis on the troubles in [Strayed’s] past. There were too many flashbacks of drugs and sex.”

In true Hollywood fashion, the film attempted to lure its audience with drama. Wild featured a beautiful Reese Witherspoon, trying to appear dirty and disheveled. There were a few scenes in the movie that were farfetched.

Midway through the movie, Strayed encountered a fox outside of her tent; this was at a time when Strayed was questioning her choice to make the trek. The fox appeared at the end of the movie as well, when Strayed reached her destination. The cinematography of the Pacific Crest Trail was breathtaking.

If the attendance is anything like that at previous Free Movie Nights, moviegoers should arrive early to get a seat.