Reese Witherspoon has not had much of a career since her Best Actress win for WALK THE LINE. In fact, you could say she pretty much disappeared, turning in a handful of forgettable performances in comedies and thrillers. Like Matthew McConaughey, Witherspoon has been trying something of a comeback over the last year having appeared in MUD (opposite McConaughey) and with Colin Firth in DEVIL’S KNOT. Neither seemed to boost her back into the limelight, so how about an adaptation of a major bestseller?
WILD, based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed, has now debuted a trailer and it certainly looks like it will put the focus squarely on Witherspoon’s acting abilities. Jean-Marc Vallee, director of Matthew McConaughey‘s career reviving DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, helmed WILD in what looks reminiscent of movies like 127 HOURS and INTO THE WILD.
With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone. WILD powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her.
I have always found Reese Witherspoon to be cute and never a powerhouse dramatic actress. I didn’t think her turn as June Carter in WALK THE LINE was Oscar-worthy, but she seems to connect with audiences. WILD definitely strips away any of her glamorous sheen and forces her to act from her gut. WILD could be a very powerful film or it could easily stray into the same over the top world of movies like EAT PRAY LOVE. With a screenplay adapted by ABOUT A BOY author Nick Hornby, hopefully this is one worth seeing.
WILD will hit theaters on December 5, 2014.