See it at the Movies

A WALK IN THE WOODS

with Joyce & Don Fowler
Posted 9/10/15

* * * 1/2

(Low Key Buddy Movie)

Robert Redford and Nick Nolte make a wonderful pair of mismatched buddies in this charming little film that is aimed at an older audience.

Redford adapted the …

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See it at the Movies

A WALK IN THE WOODS

Posted

* * * 1/2

(Low Key Buddy Movie)

Robert Redford and Nick Nolte make a wonderful pair of mismatched buddies in this charming little film that is aimed at an older audience.

Redford adapted the movie from a book by Bill Bryson, and plays the author, with Nolte playing his hiking companion, Stephen Katz.

Seventy-something Bryson is living a comfortable life in New Hampshire with his wife (Emma Thompson) and family, when he gets the urge to hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

His wife thinks he’s nuts, as do all the guys he tries to get to go with him … until Katz calls.

Bryson is desperate, so he figures the old alcoholic, unpredictable, undependable Katz, who still owes him money, is better than nothing.

Off they go on a 2,118-mile trek that no one expects them to complete. (We won’t tell you if they do or not).

The journey is fun to watch. There are funny moments along the way, mostly based on the people they meet along the trail and at stops at motels, huts, and bunkhouses.

There is one scene where they find themselves trapped on a ledge, reminding us of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” But Bill and Stephen are no Butch and Sundance. They are two old, out of shape guys looking for meaning in their lives.

Redford throws in a few too many metaphors on life, as the odd couple reminisces on their completely different lifestyles, eventually realizing that they are not so different.

There’s not a lot of excitement. Even their encounter with bears isn’t that scary. But their approach to their adventure and what they both get out of it is well worth the trip – for them and for us.

Of course, the scenery is awesome. You will get a real feeling for the thousands of people who hike the trail and the rush they get from the “walk in the woods.”

It is realistic in showing the opportunities along the way to sleep in a nearby hotel, have a meal in a restaurant, and then return to the wilderness.

Rated R, which is ironic when you think that it gets the same rating as “Diary of a Teenage Girl.” Some profanity and sexual references.

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