The book, written by Jon Krakauer, is the captivating true story of charming young Christopher McCandless who gives up his life savings to follow his passion - to live in the wild. He hitchhikes to Alaska, meeting life-changing people along the way, and eventually hikes to an isolated area in Alaska, where he sets up camp in an abandoned school bus.

Emile Hirsch, a good-looking 22-year old actor, plays McCandless. Learning a lot about McCandless from his parents and sister, Hirsch immersed himself totally into the life, mind, and spirit of McCandless. He “became” Christopher, as closely as it is possible for an actor to do.

Hirsch portrays McCandless as a boyish, enthusiastic free spirit who has a deep passion about nature. McCandless comes across as an intelligent, independent yet somehow innocent idealist. Regardless of what anyone says, he follows his dream of living in the wild.

Going above and beyond what some actors would do to accurately portray a character, Emile Hirsch put himself through a rigorous, even punishing workout routine. Christopher McCandless, at age 24, eventually succumbs to extreme hunger and starvation - and Emile did not hold back in portraying McCandless during this horrible time. The 5'7" Hirsch went from 156 pounds to a mere 115 pounds to depict a starving McCandless.

Sean Penn was not at all my favorite actor when he first broke into films. Over time, however, he has earned my respect and appreciation for what he brings to film in any capacity. Although Penn was never known for his patience in his early days, he showed just how patient he can now be, waiting over ten years to get the approval of McCandless' parents to film this story. Penn directed and wrote the screenplay for "Into the Wild", and in doing so, portrayed McCandless with depth and innocent passion, paying tribute to who Christopher McCandless really was.

The supporting cast is a who's who of brilliant actors - William Hurt, Hal Holbrook, Katherine Keener, and Vince Vaughn, to name a few.

Most movies written after a book comes out don't quite come up to expectations. "Into the Wild" not only met, but exceeded my expectations. Apparently others thought so too, as it received 4 Screen Actors Guild nominations.

"Into the Wild", the movie, is destined to become a classic tale of wanderlust, passion, innocence, and the search for truth.