[three-star-rating]Robert, Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen[/three-star-rating]
In the not-so-rarified air of Hollywood terminology, A Walk in the Woods is known as “counter-programming.” That means these types of flicks run counter to big-budget blockbusters; little films like this hope to find their audience by targeting certain groups. Like the Best Exotic Marigold flicks, Woods is shooting squarely for the geriatric set. It should please them.
That’s not to say it’s perfect. Though strongly character driven, Woods still never tells us what’s at stake and how these older people change. It’s not quite as surprising, though pleasant jokes often cause a smile. However, its talky philosophies – like its lead actors – get a little long in the tooth.
Redford portrays famous autobiographer Bill Bryson, who decides to hike the Appalachian Trail later in life. His wife (sweetly represented by Thompson) forbids him to go alone. So, Bryson brings along his bumbling, slurring cuss of a friend Stephen Katz (Nolte). They use the trip to catch up on 40 years’ absence.
When asked what he’s done for the last four decades, Nolte’s Katz rasps out, “Half my life, I got drunk and chased pussy, and the other half I wasted.”
Redford is 78, and Nolte is 74. That makes this movie all about the AARP crowd doing something significant before they die. Redford’s Bryson is a cold, frigid philosopher who often has a talent for saying the wrong thing. Nolte is a frizzled, sexist skirt chaser who largely doesn’t care what people think. It’s the septuagenarian Odd Couple lost in the forest.
Fans of the book may be frustrated. The real Bill Bryson was 46 when he took this trip, he’s 63 now, and his English wife is certainly not 23 years his younger. This movie version says it’s “based” on the book; it should say it’s a wildly re-imagined fiction that has some tertiary similarities to Bryson’s original work.
Still, Woods ably represents itself as a retirement-aged comedy. In that aspect, it often delivers smiles. Nolte knows he has a juicy, lovable role here, and he uses his formidable acting talent to steal much of the film.
Redford is less successful. There’s really no compelling reason to risk his life on the Trail. I sense that the movie is about Bryson’s change, but try as I might, I couldn’t map anything but small steps. There’s really nothing deep at stake.
When we look at other films about people taking sojourns like this – Into the Wild, Deliverance, and Wild all pop to mind – they create tension and big life changes. In comparison, Woods is tamer than a petting zoo bunny. Sure, those are dramas, and Woods is a comedy, but one wishes there were a bit more peril in between the pleasant laughs.
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Most of this is beautifully shot along the Trail. However, a few fake-looking sets rob Woods of the ability to raise our pulses.
Many years ago, Redford bought the movie rights for him and his best friend Paul Newman. They missed their chance before Newman passed away. Perhaps if this had been made in their forties or fifties, Redford’s production company would’ve created something more daring than a light comedy for retirees. Nolte’s funny, huggable curmudgeon is the only thing that stands out, but he’s played characters like this many, many times before in his long, illustrious career.
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