CINEMA NOUVEAU PRESENTS “INTO THE WILD”

Cinema Nouveau’s line-up of notable and successful films continues at the Bama Theatre with “Into the Wild,” March 7 - 12, 2008. Showtimes are weeknights and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. $7 will be charged for general admission, $6 for seniors and children, and $5 for Arts Council members. Call 205-758-5195 or go to www.tuscarts.org for more information. Tickets will be on sale at the Bama box office approximately one half hour before showtime. The Bama Theatre is located at 600 Greensboro Avenue , in Tuscaloosa.

March 7 - 12 , 2008
“Into the Wild ” (2007)
Directed by Sean Penn
Based on the book by Jon Krakauer
Adventure-Biography-Drama / Rated R / 2 hours /
English/ color
Starring Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brian Dierker, Catherine Keener,Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook

Nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Cast, Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress; Golden Globe winner of Best Orginal Song-Motion Picture and nominated for Golden Globe-Best Score; Grammy Award nomination for Best Song-Motion Picture; Chicago Film Critics Association nominations for Best Picture, Screenplay, and Supporting Actor

Synopsis (Warning: Contains Spoilers!)
Jon Krakauer's bestselling nonfiction book about the life of Chris McCandless is finally brought to the big screen in INTO THE WILD. Directed by Sean Penn, the film opens in 1992, when Chris (Emile Hirsh) is a promising college graduate. Shortly after graduation, Chris gives his life savings to charity, burns all of his identification, and begins hitchhiking across America , his ultimate goal being Alaska . Citing passages from his heroes, Thoreau and Jack London, he is determined to escape society and get back to nature. He blows from town to town like a tumbleweed, hopping trains, camping with aging hippies (Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker), working briefly with a farmer (Vince Vaughan), and befriending a widowed leather worker (Hal Holbrook). He revels in his newfound freedom, but meanwhile, his parents (Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt) have no idea where he is, and are sick with worry. While their relationship with Chris was already troubled, they are nonetheless devastated by his disappearance. Chris's sister, Carine (Jane Malone), narrates much of the film, offering her reflections on the effect Chris's absence has on his family. Chris finally makes it to Alaska , where he hikes out to a remote campsite and discovers an abandoned bus. He manages to survive there for a few months living off the land, but he eventually runs out of supplies and becomes trapped, leading to his tragic end. INTO THE WILD bounces around chronologically, jumping back and forth from the start of Chris's journey to his final few weeks living aboard the bus. This works to great effect as the storylines begin to merge and the tension and dread mount, and we see the fate that will eventually befall Chris. Penn obviously had great admiration for his subject, and while the film appears to differ from the book in places, it nevertheless paints a heartbreaking portrait of this young man's short but fascinating life.