(This will only be a quick little review because I’m busy
working on other projects. Enjoy!)
Had things turned out differently, ‘A Walk in the Woods’
would’ve ended up being the third on-screen collaboration between acting
legends Paul Newman and Robert Redford, following their critically acclaimed
turns in 1969’s ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and 1973’s ‘The Sting’.
Sadly, this would never come to fruition as Newman retired from acting in 2007
and died just a year later in 2008. Despite this, Redford moved on, brought in
another acting legend in Nick Nolte to take over the role that was originally intended
for Newman, and was finally able to get ‘A Walk in the Woods’, based on the
1998 memoir of the same name by travel author Bill Bryson, brought to the
big-screen. It follows Bryson (Redford) as he attempts to hike the Appalachian
Trail with his old friend Stephen Katz (Nolte), who he hadn’t been in contact
with for about four years. But due to the two of them being not so prepared to
take on this adventure, hilarity ensues as the two end up getting into all
sorts of crazy situations as they try to complete the over 2,000 mile long
trail. All of this comes together for a film that is just as pleasant as the trip
these two men are taking (not counting all of the chaotic stuff that happens to
them).
‘A Walk in the Woods’ is a fairly simple story but that
doesn’t mean it’s not an enjoyable one to watch. The cinematography for the
film by John Bailey is absolutely breathtaking with its shots of scenic vistas
and Americana. And ultimately the film really benefits from its charismatic duo
of leads in Redford and Nolte. The two have excellent chemistry, perhaps almost
as good as Redford and Paul Newman, and it’s fun to see these two deal with
everything that happens to them on the trail, from bears to crazy hikers,
including an overly enthusiastic, and rather annoying, hiker named Mary Ellen
(Kirsten Schaal), and so on. And it’s also rather nice to see these two old
friends reconnect again through all of the chaos. Back them up with a few solid
supporting roles, including Emma Thompson as Bryson’s wife Catherine and Mary Steenburgen
as the owner of a motel who flirts with Bryson, and you have a nice little
buddy road trip; no more, no less. ‘A Walk in the Woods’ isn’t the most profound
film of its genre but it still manages to be a nice little film that strongly
benefits from its leads and its beautiful scenery. If you’re looking for a nice
little indie flick after all of the big blockbusters from this past summer, I
think you’ll enjoy ‘A Walk in the Woods’.
Rating: 4/5
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