Analysis of the Film, Into the Wild, Directed by Sean Penn

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When people read a book that they like they cant wait to see the movie that is based on the book. Many people criticize the movie or are not satisfied. While you watch this movie it is visually breathtaking and easily relatable. Chris McCandless is played by Emile Hirsch who does an outstanding job of portraying McCandless. McCandless’s parents are Walt and Billie McCandless. In the book they are portrayed as a little stuck up and snobbish. Sean Penn is a screenwriter and director for the movie adaptation of Into the Wild by John Krakauer. Sean Penn portrays Chris’s parents in a negative way in order to show that they were essentially responsible for him breaking away from society.

When Walt has his birthday in the movie and the book he is on the back porch which is elevated and the rest of the people are in the backyard below Walt. He is showing signs of narcissism. Which is an exaggerated sense of self-importance and self-absorption ( Wade and Carol 384). Walt believes that he has more power than everyone else and is self absorbed in his own fantasy about his perfect family. Walt believed that because he was on the deck that he held a higher status than everyone else at that party. When McCandless gave his dad the top of the line telescope he had no emotion opening up the present. This shows that Walt believed that any sign of emotion is a sign of weakness.

Narcissistic people lack empathy towards others and are not wiling to understand or identify the needs and feelings of others(Psychological & Personality Disorders). Walt displays this when he offers to purchase McCandless a Cadillac for graduating college in the movie and book. McCandless has bought his car with the money he saved and loves his car. Walt ins...

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... of why McCandless left. It is also easily relatable for young people because a lot of people where in this kind of position.. Penn knew that he needed a greater reason as to why McCandless left. So he added in these scenes to the movie to show that he had a reason to leave his family and embark on his journey. All of these scenes in the movie prove that his parents are the reason why McCandless left and decided to live in the wild.

Works Cited

Into the Wild. Dir. Sean Penn. Perf. Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn. Paramount Vantage, 2007. DVD.

Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 2007. Print.

"Psychological & Personality Disorders." Psychological Disorders. Web. 10 Apr. 2011.

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Wade, Carole, and Carol Tavris. Invitation to Psychology. Fourth ed. Upper Saddle River,

NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

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