This true story about a young man who takes a road less travelled is well written, expertly directed, and skillfully enacted.

Still, there's something about it that bothers me. I think it's because, as I watched the smart and fearless Christopher McCandless abandon his padded life as a college student and son of a well-to-do businessman, sever contact with everyone he knows, give up all of his worldly possessions, and live for years as a wandering, adventurous vagabond, I was terrified.

Indeed, the movie plays as a horror film for an utterly urbanized city dweller like me. His complete disregard for the opinions of others, hatred of all things material (he actually burns his money), and penchant for inhabiting regions of extreme wilderness all alone, and with no connection to society, really freaked me out -- all the more so since the story on screen apparently played out almost exactly as it did in real life.

Perhaps this is a sign of a great film, of a movie that tells us something about who we are and what we can become. All I know is that I'm not going to forget anytime soon the movie's sometimes-disturbing images, even though I rather wish I could.

This is one of the final films released by Paramount in the now obsolete HD DVD format. Sadly, there's not much to distinguish the next-gen disc edition from its DVD counterpart, save the fact that the former presents the film in high definition.

But both versions feature identical extras: a pair of behind-the-scenes featurettes that see the filmmakers talking about the challenges of bringing this true story to the big screen.

Both mini-docs are recommended viewing for anyone who likes the film, but it's a shame that the supplemental material is so limited.
 

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