MARCUS,+Katie

A5 3/8/09

"Into the Wild" is set mostly in the United States. It begins in Alaska then there is a flashback to his college. There are continuous flashbacks from Alaska throughout the entire movie to various places in America. He even visits Mexico. You can tell different places he is at because they would either mention the name of the place or it would be in a caption on the screen.

I think this movie fall into the genre of memoir since it is a true story. It follows the life of Chris after his graduation from college recounting all the events from his "tramping" as recorded by him and published in the book by the same name as this movie.

There were several significant moments in this film, this first of which is finding the "magic bus" in Alaska. It is where he spent all of his nights in Alaska so it was very important. The second important even in the movie was when he left home, cutting up all his cards and donating all of his money to charity. Swimming despite his fear of water was also a very significant moment because it shows that he has conquered his fear finally and enables him to do many things on and in water later on. Meeting Wayne was another significant moment because he writes to him throughout the movie. Following that was when he tries to leave the bus but cannot cross the river due to it's widening. He falls in but manages to make it out and returns to the bus. The old man Mr. Franz taught and was taught by Chris, so meeting him was another important moment. Mr. Franz gives him the supplies he needs to survive in Alaska.The last significant moment is when he eats the poisonous plant and realizes there's nothing he can do. He changes his opinion about happiness during his last days to "happieness is only real when shared".

I feel the cinematography was very good. It helped you share in his experiences. The camera moved with him, giving the feel of his endless walking. Camera angles helped you feel his fear, happieness, and other emotions. Lighting was very natural and made things feel real. I couldn't find anything wrong with the cinematography.

The music used in this movie was popular music mostly, or all. There may have been some composed pieces, but I recognized most of the songs as popular. Some songs were a little weird, but others fit very well. There could have been some better choices in some of the music, but overall it worked well with the movie. It helped create his journey.

All of the characters were very believable. No one stood out as wrong for their part. Nothing felt forced. Everyone meshed well and created the story together. Chris, the main character, met many people on his journey and each of those actors helped you get to know Chris a little more. His parents were done very well and showed the tension in the family, the thing that pushed him away in the first place.

I feel that this was a good movie. I enjoyed watching it and would probably watch it again, or even buy it. It was a story of a man's journey to figure out the world, but he ended up finding himself instead. It showed his struggles and the things that turned out good for him. The story draws you in and makes you want to know what will ha ppen next. Who will he meet? Where will he go? Will he get home? All of these questions ran through my mind as I watched it. I love these type of real life movies that you can relate to in ways. I related to it in my longing to just drop everything and travel. I think everyone can find someway to relate to this movie. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who may inquire as to how good it is. It is a movie worth seeing at least once.

A6 3/12/09

The review in __Christianity Today__ seems like a lot of scattered thoughts put into a review that you can hardly understand the opinion in until the end. The end is one of the few things I agree with. The actors did do a spectacular job, and I'm glad that the reviewer pointed this out. I will probably be using that argument myself. The comparisons to Shirley Temple though, I don't understand them at all. I have seen my fair share of Shirley Temple movies and not once during my watching of __Into the Wild__ was I reminded of them. Chris seems like a strong young man to me, not a young girl. The writer also has, i feel, a poor view on Chris' reasons for leaving by blaming it mostly on his parents. Chris left partially because of them, but mostly because he wanted to escape society. I plan to use his reasons for leaving in my own paper.

I really enjoyed the review form __Rolling Stone__. It seemed to say all the things I was thinking while expanding on the actual making of the movie. I had never considered the music much before I read this though, and i think they nailed it by saying that the songs sounded " like the voice of Chris' unconscious." You can hear it throughout the movie. It gives the feel for whats going on in his life at that moment. I also liked the little synopsis of the movie that they gave. It was vague enough to make you want to watch the movie but not too little so that you know nothing abo ut the movie. I'm glad they mention how well the cinematographer "captures the majesty and terror of the wilderness in ways that make you catch your breath." I absolutely loved the cinematography and will write about it in my own paper.

The __TIME__ review was less than kind to Emile Hirsch's portrayal of Chris in the movie. He was referred to as an "annoying man-child", but I don't agree with that at all. I never felt myself annoyed during the movie. I thought Hirsch's performance was very good actually. I was more annoyed with this article. They call his reasons for leaving unclear. but they were stated in the movie. Also, they didn't seem to see much wrong with his parents and the way they acted, but the fights and family problems were uncomfortably clear in the movie. I feel the person who wrote this article almost didn't watch that part of the movie. Many things contributed to Chris leaving, and his parents are one of the ones I will mention.

KATIE: I HAVE READ AND RESPONDED TO YOUR DRAFT OF PAPER 3: [|katiedraftWITHCOMMENTS.doc]

[|Eng 101 paper 3 film analysis.doc]

Katie Marcus English 101.16 – Vetne Paper 3 – Film Analysis 3/14/09 Into the Wild Have you ever wondered what it would be like to just stop your life in its tracks? To get rid of all your money and most of your possessions, and leave on a journey to see where you end up? Christopher McCandless did just that, and a book and movie were created to take you on his journey “into the wild”. The movie draws you in and helps you see and understand the perils and triumphs of his journey. Though long, the movie was enjoyable and certainly worth seeing at least once in your lifetime.

The movie opens with Christopher (played by Emile Hirsch) being dropped off in the wild of Alaska, the last destination of his journey. The man wishes him luck, gives him a pair of rubber boots, and tells Chris to call him if he ever makes it out. Then the flashbacks to his life previous to Alaska begin. At first it is difficult to understand what is going on, but then you catch on after the next flashback. These flashbacks continue throughout the movie, but are not distracting to the story line.

In these flashes you see how he came to be in Alaska. He leaves town arranging for any letters sent to him to be held for two months and to be returned in bulk to his parents. He cuts up all of his cards and gives his entire college savings to charity. Then he hops in his car and drives until he can drive no more. He then burns his money and begins walking, renaming himself “Alexander Supertramp”. A review in __Time Magazine__ called his reasons for leaving unclear by saying, “it is a little difficult to see what's bugging him” (Schickel). His purpose, though, is clearly stated by his sister (played by Jena Malone), who acts as the narrator. He left to escape his parents’ and society’s obsession with wealth and success, and also the constant battles in his home.

During his journey he meets people along the way that each affects him differently. A kind hippie couple, a farmer, and a man who has lost his family are the most notable. Each of these people is affected by him, amazed by his view on life, but he always leaves before they can get too close. Is it a distrust of people or a selfish desire to be alone? Either way, he changes his mind at in the end when scrawling the words “happiness is only real when shared,” across the page of a book (Into the Wild).

After all his adventures in other parts of America he finally ends up at his goal, Alaska. He finds an abandoned bus “where no bus should be,” and makes a home in it, living off the land and struggling to survive (Ebert). Emile Hirsch did an excellent job portraying a young man and his fight with the wild, even losing weight to look the part in the starvation scenes.

All of the actors did an incredible job. Each one drew you in and helped you understand the story that much more. Most notable of these was Hirsch though, for getting “so far into Chris' skin that they seem to share the same nerve endings” (Travers). It doesn’t matter is you have of have not read the book, you can see the talent pouring from Hirsch as he dominates the screen.

The cinematography was incredible as well. The on location spots were gorgeous and Penn spared no expenses in making sure that things were as good as they must have been to Chris himself. Every shot fills you with the emotion that the scene is trying to portray, and the scenery is breathtaking. The music follows this closely and reinforces every scene sounding like “the voice of Chris' unconscious” (Travers).

Every element works to the advantage of this movie. The only daunting aspect is the whopping two hours and thirty minutes of run time, but the excitement in the film makes this hardly noticeable. I strongly recommend this movie to anyone over the age of fourteen, especially those who enjoy the thrill of adventure and long for travel themselves.

Works Cited Ebert, Roger. “Into the Wild.” Rev. of __Into the Wild__, dir. Sean Penn. 13 March 2009  __ Into the Wild. __ Dir. Sean Penn. Perf. Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay, William Hurt, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, and Hal Holbrook. DVD, Paramount Vantage, 2007.

Schickel, Richard. “//Into the Wild//: Bad End.” Rev. of __Into the Wild__, dir. Sean Penn. __Time Magazine__ 21 Sept. 2007. 13 March 2009.

Travers, Peter. “Into the Wild.” Rev. of __Into the Wild__, dir. Sean Penn. __Rolling Stone Magazine__ 4 Oct. 2007. 13 March 2009.

A7 3/19/09 Medical Animal Testing

**Katie, I think that your first question is better. The debate about the rightness/wrongness of animal testing is rather worn out, but this question puts a new spin on the issue -- alternatives. See what you find when you begin your research. If it is not very successful, then you might consider your second question instead.**

1. Are there alternatives for medical testing on animals? Animal testing is widely used and many people are against it but I wonder if there are any alternatives to testing on animals. I am an animal lover and if there are alternatives for animal testing than I wish they would be used. I've never looked into animal testing in the medical field before, only cosmetics. I am against cosmetic testing so I'd like to know more about the other kinds.

2. Are there benefits to testing medicine on animals? I would like to know if testing our medicines on animals is really helpful or just more harmful to the animals. If the benefits out weigh the killing of animals then it could be worth it. If not, then they need to find alternatives for animal testing. Could finding alternatives mean more jobs? Theres a lot I would like to know about this topic. My questions don't even skim the surface.

[|A8.doc] **CHECK** A8 Annotated Bibliography 3/27/09 "When less is not more." __Nature Medicine__ 14.8 (2008): 791-2. __Health Module__. ProQuest. Alma College Library, Alma, Mi. 27 Mar. 2009 http://www.proquest.com/ Summary: “When less is not more” discusses how people have long criticized the use of animals for medical experimentation, but some of their arguments can be used for the cause instead of against it.

Bernard E Rollin. "Animal research: a moral science. Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research." __EMBO Reports__ 8.6 (2007): 521-5. __Health Module__. ProQuest. Alma College Library, Alma, Mi. 27 Mar. 2009 http://www.proquest.com/ Summary: Rollin discusses both extremes of the arguments about medical testing on animals and the ethics involved in “Animal research: a moral science; Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research." He presents a new view on the morality of animal testing and the steps being taken to change things.

"Animal research is a source of human compassion, not shame." __The Lancet__ 364.9437 (2004): 815-6. __Research Library Core__. ProQuest. Alma College Library, Alma, Mi. 27 Mar. 2009 http://www.proquest.com/ Summary: "Animal research is a source of human compassion, not shame" discusses the side of the argument for animal testing, calling it necessary and worth the results they get.

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