A Walk in the Woods

"Intimidate the bears? They're f*cking bears!"

Following on the heels of the astoundingly good All is Lost from a couple years back, the latest 'Robert Redford in nature' film A Walk in the Woods - directed by Ken Kwapis - acts as a biopic for travel author Bill Bryson. In essence, it's a roadtrip movie, just without the road...or the car.

Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) is a travel author whose recently moved back to the States. After a television host asks him why he hasn't written about his home country America, Bryson decides to hike the Appalachian trail, a 2,200 mile stretch of wilderness that not many people manage to complete. His wife Catherine (Emma Thompson) thinks it's a terrible idea and insists that he doesn't go alone. After calling just about everybody he can think of, he gets a call from an old yet distant friend, Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte) who wants to hike the trail with him. After Stephen arrives, it's clear that he's in no shape to hike the trail, but they go anyway. Bryson is determined to finish the trail, even if that means dragging Stephen along behind him.  

To be honest, comparing this to All is Lost is unnecessary and unfair. Where the aforementioned ponders subtle philosophical questions about existence as its timid character struggles to survive, A Walk in the Woods presents a lighthearted story about rekindling friendship and enjoying the scenery. 'Robert Redford in nature' is as far as the comparison stretches. If you approach this in the right mindset, Kwapis has created a sometimes cheesy but regularly funny film that sheds light on the mind of a travel writer and offers a solid plot arc for the relationship between Bryson and Katz, a basic story that's been told countless times before, especially in the road-trip format, but still works well. Unfortunately, A Walk in the Woods often feels rushed and lacks nuance. I rarely argue for adding to a running time but at 105 mins, there's not much room for the characters to indulge in the experience of walking the Appalachian trail and as such, much of the film becomes a montage of bite-sized moments.

The story is driven by the relationship between Bryson and Katz, which is fairly well portrayed by the two leads. Redford is not at his strongest here but still brings life to what is essentially the straight-man in the comedy duo. Nolte portrays Katz as an enthusiastic but easily whiny out-of-shape alcoholic with the trademark raspy voice, and does so convincingly. Whilst character development is limited, that's more to do with material than the performances.

Kristen Schaal succeeds at creating another funny yet annoying character with the clingy hiker Mary Ellen, and Emma Thompson's small role is still decently well rounded. Overall though A Walk in the Woods has a very small cast, which is dominated by Redford and Nolte. However I did find the interactions between Bryson and motel owner Jeannie awkwardly timed. Mary Steenburgen is an undoubtedly talented actress and I think the scene was designed to be awkward in this way but it still felt surprisingly jarring. Not much to complain about though. John Bailey adds to his fine filmography with some stunning cinematography. The sweeping landscape shots are beautifully composed, and the natural environment encapsulated well. I think Bailey could have stretched his creativity more and mixed it up a bit but it's still a joy to watch.

A Walk in the Woods is at times rushed and is not going to take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, however those looking for a lighthearted, funny film that takes you into nature need look no further.