A Walk in the Woods (2015)

I have just finished watching this, and wish to record my critique of the film while it's still fresh in my mind. First, let me say how disappointed I was. Bill Bryson himself has purportedly stated on record that he was impressed at how the film captures the spirit of the book. I disagree wholeheartedly. As a huge fan of all his writings, this work is one of my favourites, and I have read it many times. The film completely misses the warm and engaging nature of the book. We are subjected to preachy lectures from Bryson (Robert Redford) at various stages of the film, which are a world apart from the concerns that Bryson expresses in his writings about the current state of preservation of flora & fauna in the book, and specifically how the National Parks Service have actually worked to the detriment of these. Other reviewers have spoken of the complete miscasting of Redford in the leading role, with which I agree, but I also think Nolte was miscast-I've always pictured Jon Lovitz in the role. Emma Thompson was woefully underused-if you've cast an actress of her talents, use them, or cast somebody less well-known in the role. The same could also be said of Mary Steenburgen. Huge chunks of the book are left out, which is perhaps to be expected when making a film, but it's puzzling why certain sections were chosen, and others left out. There are also parts of the film which are complete invention, such as the bears invading their camp, and the falling off the trail, and one section which has been lifted from one of Bryson's other works (The Lost Continent). Bill Bryson is a much accredited writer, whose works have drawn praise from all sectors of the professional world, so why did the screenwriters (Rick Kerb and Bill Holderman) think they could do a better job?.. Finally, the AT winds its way through some of the most breath-taking scenery in the Eastern USA, and yet the film does very little to illustrate this, and feels more like a student production in its editing and cinematography. At least in 'Wild' (2014), when Reese Witherspoon did a similar thing and walked the Pacific Crest Trail, albeit for very different reasons, the scenery was one of the stars of the film... Lovingly and beautifully filmed by Yves Bélanger under the direction ofJean-Marc Vallée-perhaps Canadians do it better, eh?.. The acting from the two leads is stilted and wooden-another sign of poor direction. So, in summing up, I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Forget the film, read the book instead-you'll enjoy it far more, and it'll make you want to read his other works (I own the complete collection). Unfortunately, Mr Redford, you've let yourself and all the rest of us down badly on this occasion.Yves Bélanger

This book was informative and hilarious storytelling...Bryson at his best. The movie? It's pleasant enough, I guess. But turning this classic hiking story into the equivalent of "Last Vegas" definitely dampened things. This should have been more than old guy jokes and slapstick. But it's the perfect movie for when your parents come over, and the scenery/acting are good enough to pass the time. Realism? No.

Robert Redford plays author Bill Bryson as he and his friend Stephen Katz (played by Nick Nolte) walk the Appalachian trail. I've not read the book - I'm not awful keen on Bryson's stuff - but the movie is cute enough. Couple of old guys on the trail reflecting on life. It's a little uneven trying to tackle too many of the threads from the book.The Journey Aging Humor Environmentalism/ScienceIf they had left out the "Environmentalism/Science" which comes across as oddly placed footnotes it would be a tighter movie.Don't take it too seriously and it's OK - cute.

It's just Bob Redford and Nick Nolte on a trip, walking in the woods. That's pretty much it. I thought it was amusing and had some nice moments.I liked the landscapes the choose for the film. You get a little feeling that you kind of wanna take a hike there yourself. I've been on a lot of hikes before when I was younger. I was reminded of that while watching this. The two main characters were all right. They had some good banters and chemistry. Redford and Nolte seemed to have had a lot of fun making this. It didn't feel like something done for the money.Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. The music is relaxing and it worked well with some of the montage scenes. So, yes. It is just a neat down to earth little movie about some friends walking in the woods. I thought it was all right.