Wild Information

Wild is a 2014 American biographical drama film directed by Jean-Marc Valle, written by Nick Hornby, and based on the memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 29, 2014 and released theatrically on December 5, 2014 in North America.

Premise

In 1994, Cheryl Strayed decides to hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone, as a way to heal herself, following her divorce, the death of her mother, and years of reckless, destructive behavior.

Cast

• Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed
• Laura Dern as Barbara "Bobbi" Grey, Cheryl's mother
• Thomas Sadoski as Paul, Cheryl's ex-husband
• Michiel Huisman as Jonathan
• W. Earl Brown as Frank
• Gaby Hoffmann as Aimee
• Kevin Rankin as Greg
• Charles Baker as T.J.
• Brian Van Holt as Ranger
• Jan Hoag as Annette
• Nick Eversman as Ritchie
• J.D. Evermore as Clint
• Mo McRae as Jimmy
• Keene McRae as Leif, Cheryl's brother
• Cathryn de Prume as Stacy
• Cliff DeYoung as Ed

Production

On March 8, 2012, Reese Witherspoon revealed she would adapt Cheryl Strayed's novel, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, through her new production company, Pacific Standard, as well as star as Strayed in the film. In July 2013, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired the rights to the project, with Nick Hornby writing and Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea and Bill Pohlad producing. In August 2013, Jean-Marc Valle signed on to direct.

Principal photography began on October 11, 2013, with shooting occurring on location in Oregon and California. Strayed was available to the production during their time in Oregon. On the rigors of shooting, Witherspoon stated,

"By far, this is the hardest movie I've ever made in my life. I didn't hike a thousand miles, of course, but it was a different kind of physical rigor. I"?d run up a hill with a 45-pound backpack on, and they"?d say, 'Wait, that backpack doesn't look heavy enough. Put this 65-pound backpack on and run up the hill nine or ten times.' We literally didn"?t stop shooting in those remote locations "? we wouldn't break for lunch, we"?d just eat snacks. No bathroom breaks. It was crazy, but it was so wonderful. It was complete immersion, and I"?ve never felt closer to a crew. We literally pulled each other up the mountains and carried each others"? equipment."

Music

Wild - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released by Sony's Legacy Recordings on November 10, 2014.

Release

Wild premiered on August 29, 2014 at the Telluride Film Festival, and was also featured at the Toronto Film Festival on September 8 and the San Diego Film Festival on September 24. It was released in North America on December 5, 2014.

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% approval rating with an average rating of 7.5/10 based on 102 reviews. The site's consensus reads "Powerfully moving and emotionally resonant, Wild finds director Jean-Marc Valle and star Reese Witherspoon working at the peak of their respective powers." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 75 out of 100 based on 37 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."

Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter praised Witherspoon and Dern's performance, as well as Valle, saying he "has crafted a vivid wilderness adventure film that is also a powerful story of family anguish and survival" and Hornby for adapting "the book with finesse." Justin Chang of Variety said, "It"?s no surprise that the versatile Valle, who recently directed two Oscar-winning performances in Dallas Buyers Club, has elicited from Witherspoon an intensely committed turn that, in its blend of grit, vulnerability, physical bravery and emotional immediacy, represents easily her most affecting and substantial work in the nine years since Walk the Line... Nor is it a surprise that Valle, whose bracingly sharp editing on Dallas Buyers Club was one of that film"?s more unsung virtues, has applied similarly bold cutting-room strategies here." Pete Hammond of Deadline.com echoed these statements, feeling Witherspoon "nails it" and that she "delivers her best screen work since her Oscar-winning turn in Walk the Line, and this three-dimensional portrayal of a woman searching for herself... is certain to put her back in the thick of the Best Actress race".

Accolades

Awards
Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
Satellite Awards	February 15, 2015	Best Actress	Reese Witherspoon
		Best Supporting Actress	Laura Dern
		Best Adapted Screenplay	Nick Hornby
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards	December 8, 2014	Best Actress	Reese Witherspoon
		Best Supporting Actress	Laura Dern
		Best Adapted Screenplay	Nick Hornby
Screen Actors Guild Award	January, 25, 2015	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role	Reese Witherspoon
Golden Globe Awards	January, 11, 2015	Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama	Reese Witherspoon