'A Walk in the Woods': Will Bill Bryson's acclaimed memoir find a big audience?
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
A film version of Bill Bryson鈥檚 classic memoir 鈥淎 Walk in the Woods鈥� will soon arrive in theaters.聽
鈥淲oods鈥� chronicles Bryson鈥檚 time hiking the Appalachian Trail with his childhood friend Stephen Katz (a pseudonym) and the movie version, which opens today, has actor Robert Redford playing Bryson and Nick Nolte playing Katz. Emma Thompson, Nick Offerman, Mary Steenburgen, and Kristen Schaal co-star.聽
So far, the film has gotten negative reviews from critics, with that the film is 鈥渂road [and] bland鈥� light diversion but little substance" and 鈥渁 middling sitcom.鈥�
The theme of the movie, in which Bryson decides to embark on a wilderness adventure after a frustrating time as a guest on a talk show and a general need to get away, will no doubt be a familiar one to moviegoers. Last year鈥檚 movie 鈥淲ild鈥� told the story of writer Cheryl Strayed鈥檚 journey on the Pacific Crest Trail after she experienced personal crises, including a divorce and the death of her mother. The movie netted actress Reese Witherspoon a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Recent movies 鈥淚nto the Wild,鈥� a 2007 movie which starred Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless, and 2010鈥檚 鈥淭he Way,鈥� starring Martin Sheen as a grieving father traveling a pilgrimage path, had similar plots.聽
The team-up of Redford and Nolte echoes that of recent film success 鈥淭he Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,鈥� which was released in 2012. 鈥淢arigold鈥� stars Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and other actors as senior citizens traveling to stay in an Indian hotel. The film became a box office hit and Hollywood, seemingly encouraged by the response to the film, released other movies bringing together older venerable actors like 2013鈥檚 鈥淪tand Up Guys鈥� (Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, and Alan Arkin starred) and 2013鈥檚 鈥淟ast Vegas鈥� (starring Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline).聽
As baby boomers age, the popularity of such films make sense, and of course, if a movie is good, it can attract moviegoers of all ages. It remains to be seen how 鈥淲alk鈥� will do at the box office, but if it isn鈥檛 hurt by negative reviews, it could become another hit like 鈥淢arigold鈥� for audiences looking for something to see at the beginning of fall besides summer holdovers like 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥� Rogue Nation鈥� and 鈥淪traight Outta Compton.鈥�
