Movie Review- A Walk in the Woods

I'm a fan of travel writer Bill Bryson and many years ago, I read his book, A Walk in the Woods. Although I only have the faintest recollection of the book ( it was published in 1998), I was interested in seeing the film adaptation. 

PLOT- American travel writer, Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) is experiencing a life crisis. When a British journalist asks him why he has not written about his own country, he does a little soul searching and decides to hike the Appalachian Trail. If he completes it, he will hike 2180 miles, through fourteen states and it will take him several months. His wife, Catherine (Emma Thompson), insists that he brings a friend for safety. The only friend that responds, is Stephen Katz ( Nick Nolte), whom Bryson has not seen in many years. Katz is overweight, out of shape and may still have a drinking problem, but he is a willing participant. 

LIKE- A Walk in the Woods, is a movie that my mom would have liked. By this, I mean a few things...First, the theatre was full, but we were the only audience members under the age of sixty. It definitely appeals to an older audience. Second, this is a story filled with gentle comedy. It's a buddy film with a sweetness that many movies lack. Sure, it's occasionally a tad saccharine, but I could forgive those moments, because my overriding impression was that this is a feel good movie. Personally, I think the world could use more "feel good" movies. 

In the film adaptation, they changed the age of the characters, which creates a different dynamic. Bryson and Katz were in their mid-forties during their hike, but Redford and Nolte are in their seventies. This age change, shifted the theme of the story from a mid-life crisis, to a golden year crisis. It upped the stakes in the movie version, as Bryson now sees this hike as something he must finish soon. One of the key early scenes in the film, is Bryson attending a funeral for a friend. Aging the characters, gives more urgency and weight to Bryson's goals. It changed the story, but for the better.

Redford and Nolte are well cast and keep the movie entertaining. They play an odd-couple, with Redford's Bryson the logical, responsible friend and Nolte's Katz, the unpredictable, wildcard. The funniest scenes were when the duo encounter an obnoxious, know-it-all, hiker played by Kristen Schaal. Schaal manages to steal the scenes from the veteran actors. 

DISLIKE - I thought that it was odd that they didn't really show the physical effects of their long hike. They mention blisters, but in Cheryl Strayed's Wild ( both the memoir and film adaptation), much is made about the physical toll the hike took on Strayed's body. In A Walk in the Woods, they hardly seem to be affected by this enormous undertaking. There are not experienced hikers or fit guys. They make it seem pretty easy, which it couldn't have been. This unrealistic element really nagged at me. 

The pacing was uneven, and although it's only 104 minutes, it felt long. 

RECOMMEND- This is a great rental, especially if you want a light-hearted, buddy film with a small dose of introspection. The scenery is stunning, but not stunning enough to rush to see it on the big screen. A good, but not great film. 

Book Review - Kim Wright's The Canterbury Sisters

Kim Wright's The Canterbury Sisters caught my eye for several reasons. It was compared to authors that I like, such as Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed. It's a story of a woman's journey and it's set in England. I couldn't resist. Thank you to Gallery Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Wright's novel, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT - Wine Reviewer, Che Milan has just lost her mother to cancer. To add insult to injury, she receives a "Dear John" letter from her boyfriend on the same day that her mother passes. Che is bereft and she spontaneously decides to book a trip to England in order to fulfill her mother's last wish. Her mother wanted to make the sixty-odd mile pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Che hauls her mother's ashes to England and joins a tour group comprised of seven other American woman aptly named Broads Abroad. As they make the journey, this disparate group of women each take a turn telling a story and Che scatters her mother along the road.

LIKE - I immediately fell in love with Wright's phrasing, so much so that I often paused to reread passages. She writes in a way that is straight-forward, honest and insightful. She also manages to find humor in inappropriate moments. Having gone through loss and grieving quite a bit recently, I could relate to the humor and cutting remarks. Che's loss felt uncomfortably familiar. I felt like I was nodding my head in agreement through much of the story.

I liked the symmetry of having the women each tell their own tales and having that echo both Chaucer and the overall idea of this pilgrimage. I had no idea that modern people made this trek, so the idea of the walk was fascinating to me. All of the women had interesting stories and there was quite a bit of surprise with where the stories headed. There were many moments in the story, where Wright managed to catch me off guard. I like the element of surprise.

DISLIKE - Nothing. I found The Canterbury Sisters to be a highly enjoyable and affecting read. I polished it off in a single afternoon, because I just needed to know what was going to happen next. Wright's story grabbed my attention and refused to let go.

RECOMMEND - Yes! The Canterbury Sisters is a wonderful story by a talented writer. I hate labels, but I do have to say that this seems to be fairly classic "Women's Fiction". I say this, because I can't imagine many men that I know choosing to read or enjoying this book. It's very women-centric and to that end, I think that many of my female friends would very much enjoy it. I now want to go visit Canterbury on my next trip to England. Wright's descriptions make it sound gorgeous and ethereal.