As a woman who has solo hiked many parts of the AT I went to this movie with great hopes of being uplifted and inspired but I left unfulfilled, disappointed and bored. The portrayal of what a long distance hike takes was unrealistic and oversimplified. You do not go out unprepared and you do not just scamper over three boulders or teeter over 4 feet of slippery logs crossing a creek. The trails are fraught with many dangers from man, beast and nature. This made it look like a long hot afternoon walk. Perhaps the real woman's experience was better accounted for in her journals and subsequent book but the movie did nothing to convey her personal struggle to complete a thousand mile trek...
But what left me MOST disappointed and shaking my head....was when they managed to insert a blatant plug for REI right in the middle of the movie woven right into the dialog...("You mean they'll send me a brand new pair of boots?? No charge??? Thanks REI! You're my new favorite company!")
I went through much of the emotional turmoil this woman did (minus the drugs and promiscuity) and hoped for an emotional connection. Sadly...the movie just did NOT deliver.
But what left me MOST disappointed and shaking my head....was when they managed to insert a blatant plug for REI right in the middle of the movie woven right into the dialog...("You mean they'll send me a brand new pair of boots?? No charge??? Thanks REI! You're my new favorite company!")
I went through much of the emotional turmoil this woman did (minus the drugs and promiscuity) and hoped for an emotional connection. Sadly...the movie just did NOT deliver.