A Walk in the Woods

This is a great feel-good movie. It’s light, and it’s entertaining. And, of course, supported by a great cast!

As someone who deeply loved this book..... the movie portrayal was abysmal and very poorly cast. I love Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, and they’re great actors, but the roles were very poorly cast, and the story loses so much, for me, due to poor casting. The book made me want to be in the woods, hike the AT, and changed me as a person. The movie did NOT do that in any way. It was just a feel-good farce.

I rented this movie to get a glimpse of the outdoors since I had to sit in my house because of the Coronavirus outbreak. There were some funny moments and some good outdoor shots, but it wasn’t as good as I was hoping.

Slow paced--and you may have to turn on the CC to understand Nolte--but very amusing and worth watching.

I read Bill Bryson's book and it was fantastic, and so I thought the movie couldn't be half bad... right? Well, it was bad enough that I didn't even finish the movie. I got to the part when they fall down a cliff and tried to use their pants and make a rope and then decided to just shut it off. The movie doesn't look like two guys hiking the AT, it looks like two actors on a sound stage in Hollywood walking with packs in front of landscaped sets. They did obviously shoot some of the scenes at some of the iconic AT locations, but many parts are obviously on a set and look downright silly. Also, why do they have trekking poles attached to their packs through the whole thing and never use them? Despite being out in the woods for a prolonged amount of time, they don't ever seem to be dirty or grimy or grow beards. I know this isn't supposed to be an accurate depiction of trail life, but it doesn't even attempt to be realistic. I feel like they didn't bother to consult a real AT hiker in the making of this movie, and it comes off as lazy and insincere.

I lower my expectations for this movie but unfortunately that didn’t help. It was still lousy.

Like all of Robert Redford movies….BORRRIIINNNGGG

Don’t listen to the negative reviews. This movie is about much more than hiking the AT. The journey is symbolic; it’s about life, friendship and contemplating your own mortality to discover what really matters in the time you have left. The dialogue is crisp and funny. Ok, it’s a tad preachy occasionally, but subtly and forgivably so. Definitely worth a watch.

Living on the East Coast I have heard about the Appalachian Trail many times over the years and even hiked portions of it as a Boy Scout. It was enjoyable to watch this group of established stars to give credit to the trail and its heritage to keep preserved.

Glad I rented it for a buck. Certainly not the best movie I ever saw, but going into it with no expectations, I thought it was ok.