By Claire.

Today are the 90th Academy Awards. As I’ve mentioned before, I love Awards Season. I take it incredibly seriously, and it’s all I live and breathe January through to February each year. While I enjoy the Globes and the SAGs, the Oscars are the big one (and my favourite!)

This year, the Oscars are in March and it feels like Awards season has dragged on for so long. In reality, it’s just a week later than last year. But still, I was so excited, energised, and if we’re being honestly, just a big ball of anxiety and bafflement at the start.

After the Golden Globes, I was so annoyed at Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri winning everything, at Gary Oldman winning. This happened again at the SAGs, and again at the BAFTA's. Now, I feel old and weathered and exhausted.

When will I return from war?

I will get into why I’m hating at Three Billboards and Oldman later, but these emotions were strong, because I was passionate. This year in particular means so much to me.

It is no secret that I love Greta Gerwig, and what Lady Bird means to me. Greta is nominated for two awards: one is Best Director, making her the 5th woman overall to be nominated for that category. The other is Best Original Screenplay, which, as an aspiring screenwriter is exciting all in itself. The film is also nominated for an additional three awards, including Best Picture.

In addition to Lady Bird, we have Call Me By Your Name. I haven’t written about this film on here yet, mainly because I haven’t had the right words to convey. This film is stunning. It has taken over my life. I have seen it three times in cinema, and it still shakes me to my very core every time. CMBYN has been nominated for five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song and Best Lead Actor.

I love this movie, and I want it to win everything. However, I know this probably won’t happen. I like to think the Academy is changing. This is due to a new round of younger, more diverse voters, Moonlight’s win last year, and because I didn’t write an angry react post about this year’s nominations, because I am actually quite happy with them (for the first time in my life). However, I don’t have that much faith in the Academy.

To be honest, I would be happy to see CMBYN win Adapted Screenplay, and anything else would be a bonus (even though Sufjan Steven’s original and Oscar nominated song ‘Mystery of Love’ can bring me to tears, and Luca Guadagnino is a beautiful director).

But let’s get down to business:

So, who do I want to win?

(Highlighted are who I want to win, not necessarily who I think will win)

LEAD ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Frances McDormand will probably win, and I will admit, she was the best part about Three Billboards, but god, I hope Saoirse Ronan does. I mean, this is her third Oscar nomination, and she’s only 23. She will get more nominations, but her portrayal of Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPhearson was so natural, complex, and reflective. Ronan affords teenage girls the space to be taken seriously as complex human beings, and she did really well. So yeah, it’s not your traditional Oscar winning role, but it doesn’t mean it is not deserving.

A similar argument can be said for Lead Actor.

LEAD ACTOR

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

After the Screen Actor Guild Awards, where Gary Oldman beat out Timothée Chalamet yet again, I said If Timothée doesn’t win Best Actor at the Oscars, I’m going to flip a table Armie Hammer in The Man From U.N.C.L.E style.

Gary Oldman has been winning, and I haven’t seen Darkest Hour, so this is just me being petty, I guess, but portraying Winston Churchill isn’t anything new. So many people have done it. Maybe he was really good, though. He must have been to receive the Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA for it. But the Academy loves a War story.

Obviously, I want Timothée to win. As Elio, he masterfully combines subtlety, deep emotion, comedic timing, as well as the ability to bring an entire cinema to tears with a single shot. The kid has serious acting chops. Honestly, he deserves it. But he is also so young. He has an illustrious career ahead of him, and he might win in the future. But instead of awarding people after they have had a long career, how about we give them awards when their performance deserves it?

This all being said, I would also be incredibly happy if Daniel Kaluuya wins. He was awesome in Get Out. Also, I’m a big fan in young people in the industry at the moment, these old guys have had their chance, let’s support the new generation, ja? (How Millennial of me).


SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

I have seen I, Tonya, and yes, Allison Janney was good, and she will probably win, again, like she has won every other award this season. BUT LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT LAURIE METCALF AND MARY J. BLIGE.

Laurie Metcalf as Saoirse Ronan’s mother in Lady Bird was fantastic. She deserves an Oscar for her eye twitch after Lucas Hedges says “Lady Bird always said she lived on the wrong side of the tracks, and I thought that was just a metaphor, but there are actual train tracks.” Also, the moment when she drops Lady Bird off at the airport at the end of the film. Y’ALL.

I feel like not many people have seen Mudbound. It is a Netflix film, so it didn’t have a theatrical release, and this is probably why it hasn’t been receiving as much recognition as it deserves. Mary J. Blige was so unrecognisable in this film, in a fantastic way, and if this film was released theatrically, she would be a bigger contender, I swear to you. Mudbound is a typical Oscar film (American history, war, and racial tensions), let’s be real, here.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Sam Rockwell is probably going to win. I hope he doesn't. There’s a lot wrong with his character, literally known as a racist cop. This racism is never punished or effectively dealt with, and when you’re introduced as a cop who tortured an African American person in custody, you need to deal with that, don’t just later redeem him by making him a half-baked redemption arc. Sure, this characterisation comes out of Martin McDonagh’s script, but the Oscars are political, and this isn’t the role which needs to be awarded right now.

This being said, without a nomination for Armie Hammer (snubbed! Oliver was his best role yet, and I’ve seen all his films), I don’t have any particularly strong opinions about this category. I loved The Florida Project, so let's go for Willem Dafoe. Sam Rockwell will most likely win, but I won’t be happy about it.

BEST DIRECTOR

“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

Here, I'm rooting for Greta Gerwig, Jordan Peele, or Guillermo del Toro. I would especially love if Gerwig won (I will most likely breakdown and cry), and I also love Peele, and what he did with Get Out. However, GDT did win the Globe, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he won, and rightly so.

Gerwig or Peele, though, would be my wildest dreams.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME. That script was beautiful, and a faithful adaption of the book. I want it to win, and I think it will win.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

Of course, I want Greta Gerwig to win. I feel like this one is hard to gauge. Martin McDonagh won the Globe (ugh), but I am really rooting for Lady Bird and Get Out at the Oscars. I LOVED The Big Sick, and I am so excited that it has been nominated, but I do not see it winning – but if it did it would be such a plot twist!

CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

I’m going to talk about cinematography for a moment, because Rachel Morrison is the first woman to be nominated for Cinematography, ever. With Mudbound, she was able to make the dusty, muddy and bleak setting look beautiful. This is not an easy feat, and could have made the film boring, but instead, it is a feast for the eyes. She is brilliant at what she does. Speaking of, she is also the cinematographer for Black Panther. Like I said, she is brilliant.

And like, because the Academy isn’t kind to women, I guess The Shape of Water or Dunkirk were pretty to look at, too.

BEST PICTURE

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Here we are, the big one.

I have seen all Best Picture nominations, bar Darkest Hour. This is because yet another portrayal of, and film about Winston Churchill just does not interest me.


Dunkirk was good, but it came out so long ago. It’s Nolan and about WWII so it gets an automatic nomination. I love movies about journalism, but The Post wasn’t phenomenal. That being said, it was such a great debut feature script by Elizabeth Hannah.

For Best Picture, I’m rooting for Lady Bird, Get Out, and Call Me By Your Name.

What has a large chance of winning, though, is Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and I really hope it doesn’t. The film was awarded Best Picture – Drama at the Globes, best performance by a Cast at the screen actors Guild Awards and Best Film at the BAFTA’S. And yes, this is an Oscars Film: A lone wolf seeking justice, battling the ineffective police system. With the persecution of rape being a major issue in the world, Three Billboards definitely touches a nerve. I was even affected after seeing it, posting on social media that the film is incredible and highly recommending that everyone see it. That being said, throughout the film I had an unsettled feeling, and it wasn’t until later that I figured out why.

Three Billboards thinks its saying something profound, without really saying anything at all. We are swept up by images of large billboards, Molotov cocktails, and a hardened badass woman in coveralls and a bandana, but nothing is truly engaged with. Tim Parks for The New Yorker calls this the “feel-good fallacy.” Another critique of Three Billboards is it’s racism. This sits largely with Sam Rockwell’s character, which I touched on earlier. Beyond Rockwell’s racist cop, the entire police force is racist, homophobic, or both, which is thrown around in dialogue multiple times, but never held accountable.

Due to its murky racism and politics, yet having received so many awards, it is a large possibility that Three Billboards will be this year’s Crash to Call Me By Your Name. Back in 2006, everyone knew Brokeback Mountain was supposed to win Best Picture, but Crash swept in and won instead.

But then there is me, hopelessly optimistic, thinking Three Billboards might be La La Land instead, wining the acting awards, with Call Me By Your Name or Get Out sweeping in to take Best Picture. Get Out does more as a social critique of America than Three Billboards does.

However, Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name and Get Out are unconventional Oscar winners. Lady Bird, as a film about a teenage girl, written and directed by a woman, and Get Out, a horror film were white people are the villain, are unprecedented. Call Me By Your Name, is subtle and beautiful and visceral. Of course, so is Moonlight, but do we honestly think the Academy will award a film about gay men two years in a row?

With this in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if The Shape of Water wins. Not my usual kind of film, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was like a fantasy, greener version of Amelie. Once we get past the whole Sexy Fish Man and Sally Hawkins Fall In Love and Have Sex weirdness, what this story truly is about is capturing those who are outcasts and feel like they are alone in the world, finding a connection. It was a gorgeous film, with fab old Hollywood musical elements and I realise that if you haven’t seen the film this might all sound so weird, but it was great. I would be so happy for it to win.

I like to hope the Academy is changing. People think the Oscars are antiquated, but to that I just say we should change what an Oscar Film looks like. Change what an Oscar Winner looks like, shake it up, keep it relevant and diverse. We can only hope this is the direction the Academy is heading, but we will have to see how today goes.

By Claire. 

2018 is a new year, and with it, I have decided to take on the 52 Films By Women pledge. Started by Women in Film Los Angeles in 2015, the pledge aims to increase awareness of female made film by asking its pledges to watch one film directed by a woman each week for a year. This is something we have loved the idea of, but have never had the time to fully commit to. However, there is no time like the present!

Here at Cause a Cine, I am going to alter the rules a bit and include films written or directed by women. As I continue my journey into screenwriting, I found it fit to include female screenwriters as well, and increase visibility of female filmmakers across all fronts. 

As we are well aware, women in film are severely underrepresented. In Women and Hollywood's yearly round of up statistics for 2017, it was found out of the top-grossing films from 2007 to 2017, 95.7% of directors were male, and 4.3% were female. This equates to twenty two male directors hired for every one female director. Of these women, out of 1,100 films, four were directed by Black women, three by Asian women, and only one Latina director. Despite being a record year for female directors in 2017 (Of course, by "record year" we mean eight films out of the top 100 films of the year were directed by women, but this is an increase from the year previous), there are zero women nominated for Best Director of a Motion Picture at tomorrow's Golden Globes. While Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird is nominated for Best Film Musical or Comedy, there is no nomination for Gerwig herself as director. 

By making a pledge like this, we can help increase the number of films created by women which are made visible, and in turn, help encourage more female writers and directors to be hired in future. 

I will be cataloging my pledge on Twitter (@causeacine), and updating weekly here on the blog. 

You can sign up to the pledge on the Women In Film website here, or check out an amazing list of female directed films on GoWatchIt here. You might have seen more films directed by women than you realise. 

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52 FILMS BY WOMEN - 2018 

Week 1: Everything Everything (2017), directed by Stella Meghie.

Week 2: Dirty Dancing (1987), written by Eleanor Bergstein.

Week 3: The Kids Are Alright (2010), directed by Lisa Cholodenko

Week 4: Lady Bird (2017), written and directed by Greta Gerwig

Week 5: Obvious Child (2014), written and directed by Gillian Robespierre

By Claire. 

Hailee Steinfeld in her Golden Globe nominated performance as Nadine.

If you’re anything like me, you most likely have Stevie Nick’s classic 'Edge of Seventeen' in your head right now. Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, Edge of Seventeen's association (intentional or not) to Nicks’ song of teenage romance and self-discovery is not far off base.

Fremon Craig’s latest feature is a magnificent feat for the teen film genre. Screening at Toronto Film Festival, the film has received rave reviews, some even going so far as to call it an “instant teen classic”. A self-proclaimed teen film enthusiast, I will admit, I remained skeptical throughout the film; asking myself “where is the iconic fashion statements, the plethora of new lingo to add to the teen’s everyday vernacular?” But by the time the credits rolled, I got it.

Starring a cleverly hilarious and convincing Hailee Steinfeld, Edge of Seventeen has a simple plot: Excruciatingly awkward high school Junior Nadine’s (Steinfeld) life comes crashing down when her best, and only friend Krista (Hayley Lu Richardson) starts dating her older, annoyingly perfect older brother Darien (played by Blake Jenner, who, since Glee, can no longer pass as a high schooler). What extends from this, however, is a tale of heartbreak. After the passing of her father four years prior, Krista is the only one who Nadine feels like she can depend on. Her mother Mona (Kyra Sedgwick) struggles to understand her, and her brother only cares about himself. The emotions which ensue, from all characters, are what make the film.

It is a common saying in which going to the cinema and watching a movie is like being transported to another place. While I sat in the plush velvet chairs, one hand a constant rotation from the popcorn box and my mouth between sips of frozen coke, I was transported back to my seventeen year old self. Brought to life from Fremon Craig’s script by an excellent Steinfeld, Nadine’s deeply rooted awkwardness, self-deprecation, dramatics and self-absorption perfectly capture what it’s like to be a seventeen-year-old girl, especially an insecure one.

Nadine (Steinfeld) and Krista (Robertson) mid-crisis.

Equipped with an “old soul” and awkward personality, Nadine declared herself an unlovable outsider a long time ago. Hunched over the toilet bowl after one too many orange soda and vodka cocktails, she reveals to us that her biggest fear is having to live with herself, whom she sees no appeal in. This genuine sadness is inescapable to Nadine. So, when Nadine’s only friend starts to show interest in other people, in being with the older brother she deems so perfect, it’s understandable to feel her betrayal (if not a little selfish and maybe a smidge irrational). She gets by with frankness, biting wit, and spending lunchtimes with her history teacher, something I understand all too well (Class of 2013 Teachers Pet right here!). In the company of Nadine, there is a touching moment with her mother, Mona, battling herself with the decision between over-bearing and trust while composing a text to her daughter, and a heartfelt reconciliation between brother and sister, who begin to finally understand each other.

Let us not be fooled, along with the hard-hitting emotional journeys, this film is funny. Stand outs include Woody Harrelson's classic deadpan delivery as Nadine's trusted history teacher Mr Bruner and Nadine’s classmate Erwin Kim (Hayden Szeto), who's nervous attempts at flirting with her had me cackling. What I liked most about this character is his ability to call out Nadine's bullshit (she's an asshole!) and his understanding of his own self-worth.

Movies about teenage girls are hard to pull off, and due to their complexity, the characters often come across as catty shallow bitches. What Fremon Craig demonstrates as screenwriter and director is the importance of women writing about girls and women to break down these stereotypes. Of course, the legendary John Hughes did well with representing teens, but two the most important and iconic teen films for teenage girls, Clueless and Mean Girls, were written and directed by women—the great Amy Heckerling (Clueless) and Tina Fey (Mean Girls). It is these films which continue to live on, because teenage and young adult women see themselves in the characters, and feel connected to the stories. They both demonstrate an authenticity that only women can bring to the table, which is especially important for teen girls, who crave accurate representation. 

Edge of Seventeen may not be an instant sleepover classic like Clueless or Mean Girls, as it perhaps may be a bit too heavy for that, but I'm sure it will endure, and help girls like myself, who identify or identified with Nadine, to find peace with themselves.

Edge of Seventeen is out now in cinemas.

Hailee Steinfeld is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy at today's Golden Globes. She is the only nominee in any of the film acting categories to have been directed by a woman. 

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Cause a Cine do not own any images used in this post.

By Claire

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I want to share some things with you:

Number 1. I love this movie with my entire life, and nothing I could write would ever be what this movie deserves. 

Number 2. I have not see the original 1984 Ghostbusters.

And while you gasp in shock, let me tell you that I probably will watch it one day. It has always been on my radar, but I just never got around to it. However, I can't help but also think that I no longer need to watch the original, because now I have this fantastic all-female version.

The most prominent reactions, when I share this point of view, are scepticism, confusion and judgement. I realise the first film is probably great, but you need to let me have this moment.

Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy) and starring some of America’s funniest women, Ghostbusters (2016) is one of my favourite films of the year. 

From left: Leslie Jones as Patty, Melissa McCarthy as Abby, Kristen Wiig as Erin and Kate McKinnon as Holtzmann

First, there is the amazing cast: Melissa McCarthy (who is no stranger to being directed by Feig, with Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy) as paranormal researcher Dr Abby Yates; Kristen Wiig as particle physicist Dr Erin Gilberts; SNL’s Kate McKinnon as nuclear engineer Dr Jillian Holtzmann and Leslie Jones as New York historian and MTA worker Patty Tolan.

These women are hilarious together. Their ability to play off each other and their chemistry is perfect. In press junkets, Kate McKinnon describes the set as summer camp, because of how much fun they had on set. For a comedy film, it is important the cast have fun with each other, because it shows so well on screen.

The new Ghostbusters are extremely smart and kick ass without their gender explicitly being mentioned, or called out in a negative or blatant way – except for the villain, who is never shown to have any redeeming qualities, and in a call out to internet misogynists in a YouTube comment gag.

This film means a lot to young girls, and women, who love STEM. According to director Paul Feig, the film inspires women and children to pursue STEM, which is an issue discussed previously in [THIS] blog post.

It was so refreshing for me to be able to sit back and not feel uncomfortable about the way the women were being represented. I didn't have to fill the role of voyeur and constantly worry the heroine was going to break an ankle wearing heels in action scenes. Their “uniforms” were sturdy and practical: safety over style. Abby and Erin are allowed to have their hair in ponytails, rather than allowing it to whip around their heads in action sequences. How often do you see women allowed to have their hair out of their face in battle?

Busting some ghosts

Favourite moments include Abby’s love of wanton soup, Holtzmann explaining her gadgets to the group, her slow-motion take-down sequence in the battle of Times Square (Holtzmann’s general everything, actually. McKinnon’s deadpan delivery of lines and reaction comedy is bar to none), and Patty versus the possessed mannequins.

Finally, as much as I loved Chris Hemsworth’s character Kevin, as hilarious as he is (my sides were hurting during the scene we first meet him, in his job interview as a receptionist for the Ghostbusters), I do agree, to some extent, how regressive the dumb blonde trope is. It is overworked and was used to an epic scale in the film. To my understanding, the receptionist in the original films was not a dumb blonde, so why make Kevin one in this film?

HOWEVER, I think the use of Kevin as a dumb piece of eye candy is a good device for highlighting the sexist trope and forcing viewers to reflect on the absurdity of it.

Chris Hemsworth as Kevin 

Ghostbusters is not perfect. We need more women of colour in lead roles, playing a variety of characters. This film, though, is an excellent start, and paves the way for more female-led, non-sexualised action and science franchises in the future.

Compare it to the original films all you want, but we must not forget this film’s cultural significance, and how much this film means to women and children everywhere. 

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Cause a Cine do not own any of the images in this post.

By Claire

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Women--and humans--are complex by nature. We run with our emotions, seek adventure, love and grieve, and have a tendency to lose ourselves. When life gets us down, it's not uncommon to seek isolation, and nature, to figure ourselves out and reset.

You know what I'm talking about. In every movie or tv show, there's that scene when life gets to be too much, the sad or wronged protagonist gets up and drives or runs away, and sit's on the hood of their car or on a hill, looking out into the ocean pensively as the sun sets around them and a familiar song plays in the soundtrack. I often like to recreate these scenes on the train back to my hometown, ipod playing the perfect song to set the mood as I stare out the window.

Wild (2014) is all of this, and yet so much more.

Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed in Wild (2014)

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (who is a male, but bear with me, this is relevant), 'Wild' is the second film produced by all-female production company Pacific Standard (Reese Witherspoon and Australian Bruna Papendrea).

When Pacific Standard was announced, I flipped. Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papendrea saw the lack of strong female characters in films, and decided to center their production company exactly around that, by optioning for books with strong and interesting female leads, starting with 'Gone Girl' and 'Wild' in 2014.

Originally a book, 'Wild' is like the female counterpart to solo-adventure book, 'Into the Wild'. 

Into the Wild is a book predominantly read by young men, and is herald as a must-read book for all men in their 20s. First published in 1996 by Jon Krakaeur, 'Into the Wild' is a non-fiction novel, telling the story of Christopher McCandless, who in 1992, not long after graduating, he gave away all his money and possessions and started to hitch-hike across America to Alaska. He was then found dead after 100 days. Now, this book has received much critical acclaim, and is used as a high school text.

In 2007 Sean Penn (ew) directed the film adaption starring Emile Hirsch as McCandless. The score was written by Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and the film won awards across the national and international film festival circuit, as well as two Golden Globe and two Oscar nominations. 

Theatrical poster for Sean Penn's adaption of Into the Wild (2007)

The whole thing, as a girl, seems a bit wanky to me. From what I've seen, Into the Wild is probably a beautiful movie, but I can't tell if the story is inspiring or a cautionary tale. Let's not forget, this kid was found dead in Alaska. He came from a "well-to-do family" (which is stressed in the first sentence of the blurb, and even on the front cover of the book because this is Very Important Information), and one day decided to give away all his possessions, donate his entire savings ($24, 000)  to charity (which was actually very nice of him), burn the rest, and just decide to go on his wilderness trek with 10-pounds of rice and a rifle. 

How is 'Into the Wild' a story to look to re: finding yourself and great solo adventures? This guy was unprepared and died. It feels like a very male indulgence, believing you can give up everything and just live in the wild with no preparation. 

As a woman, when I was feeling lost and felt the itch for adventure, 'Into the Wild' seemed less than ideal.

This is why I am so thankful for 'Wild'.

'Wild' is an adaption of Cheryl Strayed's memoir of the same name. Published in 2012, Strayed shares her story, motivations and experience of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, a hike spanning form the Mexican-Californian border all the way up to Canada, solo. After the rapid loss of her mother to cancer when she was 22, Strayed distanced herself from her family and husband. Moving constantly around the country, Strayed started taking heroine and got a divorce form her husband. One day she comes across a book about the Pacific Crest Trail, and uses the journey as a way to "walk [herself] back to the woman [her] mother thought [she] was." 

Witherspoon in Wild

The PCT is a space away from conventional standards of beauty placed on women. The first time we meet Witherspoon as Strayed at the very beginning of the movie, Strayed is ripping dead toenails off of her battered feet. Here is a female character without makeup, without her hair glamourously done, covered in dirt and sweat and grime. Her body is not sexualised while she is hiking, her body is bruised, battered, grazed, tortured: her body is a warrior. 

'Wild' is a story of self-discovery, of a solitary woman hiking a trail predominantly walked by men. The scenery is beautiful, the sound-track nostalgic for a life lost, and exactly what I need as a woman in her 20's. 

When I was feeling lost, like I was floating and in need of an anchor, I had Cheryl Strayed, and 'Wild' and the PCT to look to. I need to go on my own journey. Admittedly, not to the extent that Cheryl did, but just a quick train ride through regional Victoria to my home town and watching 'Wild' a couple of times was more than enough to help me find that anchor, and satisfy this restless feeling, if only momentarily. Something that I do not believe 'Into the Wild' can provide. 

My favourite part?

Cheryl survives the journey. 


** Cause a Cine do not take any ownership of images used