You could do worse than "A Walk in the Woods" if you take a trip to the multiplex but there is a pervasive sense that the film could have been done better.
Ken Kwapis' film is slight but amiable and certain to please the senior citizen matinee crowd (patrons in my showing were laughing quite a bit). But "A Walk in the Woods" is wholly forgettable, hiding in the shadows of better films of the same ilk. Just last year, Reese Witherspoon stunned as Cheryl Strayed, who went on a walkabout along the Pacific Crest Trail on a cathartic journey to free herself of her inner demons and self-destructive behavior. It was a thematically familiar but dramatically rich journey. "A Walk in the Woods" fails to stand out in a way that "Wild" did.
Even with a cast of actors who have been around for decades, "A Walk in the Woods" isn't anything compelling. Each actor plays a variation of a character we have seen them do before; Robert Redford headlines as the straight-faced guy, while Nick Nolte mumbles and grumbles his way through his performance. Emma Thompson has a few scenes as Redford's wife. My biggest gripe about this movie is you never reduce Thompson to such a one-dimensional supporting character. A funny, smart, brassy and engaging performer, Thompson deserves better roles than the nagging wife in this movie.
Bill Bryson (Redford) stuns his wife when he decides he wants to hike the Appalachian Trail. Catherine (Thompson) is confused where this crazy idea came from - perhaps because they just went to the funeral for one of their friends. Bill insists no, but is convinced he can take the 2,000-plus mile journey, which should take him about five months to complete. Catherine pleads for him to reconsider but finally agrees to his plan with one caveat: he must go with someone.
Bill calls just about everyone he knows and no one seems excited to go on this journey with him. He gets a call from Stephen Katz (Nolte), who caught wind that Bill might be looking for someone to go hiking with him. Bill and Katz have a bit of a history of not getting along and haven't spoken in some time. Bill accepts Katz's offer to join him but begins to reconsider when he sees Katz is not really in any shape to go on such an arduous trek.
Along the Appalachian Trail, Bill and Katz rekindle and reconnect. They have the conversation of why they lost touch and how sorry they both are. The script by Rick Kerb and Bill Holderman comes from Bryson's book about his actual journey. There is no doubt that his trek was a turning point for him but the conventional screenplay doesn't bring any of that to life on screen.
Familiar faces light up the screen in brief cameos, including Nick Offerman, Kristen Schaal and Mary Steenburgen. But "A Walk in the Woods" is a two-hander for Redford and Nolte, who really never give us a reason to want to stay on this journey with them.
| Movie title | A Walk in the Woods |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2015 |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Even with a cast of actors who have been around for decades, this familiar journey isn't anything compelling. |
