Could you find strength in the Wild?

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you could go back and do things differently? If you could go back and change things, would you? Sometimes it isn’t until we have hit rock bottom and we have made a complete mess of our lives that we find out what we are really made of. No one wakes up and decides to ruin their life, but we are all conscious participants in all of our moments. Those small everyday decisions slowly build on one another making it is very easy to slip down the wrong path and find yourself at the bottom of a hole you dug yourself. It is how we choose to climb back out that defines our character. If you have ever found your way out of a black hole, you know that it usually changes you for the better. Many people find that no matter how painful and hard the experience, they wouldn’t change it if they could. 

If you are inspired by incredible journeys of self discovery and revelation, you need to see WILD. Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed, it is the true story of a woman that has driven her life into the ground and decides to start over one step at a time. Cheryl has spent years damaging herself with destructive behavior. After a heroin addiction, the death of her mother, and the loss of her marriage, Cheryl makes an impulsive decision. She decides to hike over a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail by herself without any training or experience in the wilderness.

Cheryl’s rash decision proves to be an expedition that soothes her broken soul and allows her to find the strength to rebuild herself. Hours and days of solitude give her the room to truly look within herself and face the mess she has made of her life. Cheryl struggles through hundreds of miles of beautiful but often dangerous terrain, finding the determination to keep going. She tries to trace the path that led her to rock bottom, and she doesn’t know how she will move forward without the support of her beloved mother. Cheryl tests the limits of her strength and realizes that her journey will only be won with perseverance. She finds that she has sabotaged herself out of fear and frustration. In the wild she is stripped of her self destructive behavior, and she must embrace her fears.  

The incredible cast draws the audience in with its authentic performances. Reese Witherspoon is heartfelt and genuine as Cheryl Strayed. She emanates the desperation and terror Cheryl must have felt as she walked away from the ruins of her life straight into the unknown of the wilderness.

Laura Dern plays Cheryl’s warm, optimistic mother and manages to make viewers ache for a mother like her. Dern’s performance as Cheryl’s mother is honest and thought provoking. It will make you think twice about complaining about your problems and taking your loved ones for granted. 

Directed by Jean-Marc Valle (Dallas Buyers Club) and Academy Award® nominee Nick Hornby this true story is recreated onscreen to showcase the depths of internal struggle and the unending well of strength we find within ourselves when we learn focus.

 

 

Filmed along the Pacific Crest Trail, Director Jean-Marc used right angles to shoot in order to capture 360 degrees of nature so none of the film was cut. He also insisted on using only the music that Cheryl listened to along her journey in order to emphasize the inspiration we often find in music and use it to keep ourselves going. 

This movie is a testament to the human spirit and how it can heal even after the deepest wounds. You’ll be inspired to take charge of life and thrust yourself into a new and wild adventure of your own.  

Visit the Official Website
Like WILD on Facebook
Follow Fox Searchlight on Twitter and Instagram
#WILDmovie

The Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a WILD prize pack including:

• $50 Visa gift card to see the film in theaters
• Copy of WILD (movie tie-in cover, paperback)
• Copy of the official soundtrack

Prizing courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. Open to US mailing addresses only.

How to Enter to Win

Step#1: Please answer in the blog comments section below: Are there negative things in your life you would change or do you feel those experiences have made you who you are?

Step #2: Use this easy giveaway form below to record your entries – good luck!! The comment entry is the only mandatory one you must complete to enter. All others are purely optional for those that really want to win!