when I read posts in here is how people often seem to be divided between those that think that Chris was kind of awesome for wanting to go off and live in the wild(and possibly try to copy this line of thinking) and the others who feel that he was selfish/stupid/unprepared, etc. and possibly deserved what he got. That seems so simplistic..I took a totally different message or meaning from it.
What I thought was so sad about the movie was that here is this young guy who thinks he knows the ‘secret’ to fulfillment and happiness, if only he can get away from his current life(isn’t this kind of a common rabbit trail in life? ‘I’ll be happy and fulfilled if only I can move here or get this job, etc.?’). He rejects consumerism and thinks he has it all figured out. He connects with many people along the way, but leaves broken hearts behind him as he continues to doggedly push forwards to his goal of ‘finding himself’ or getting back to nature or whatever. At the end he finally realizes that he missed the deepest truth all along..the truth that was there in the experiences he had with all those people who cared about him along the way, and those he left behind. That happiness is only real when shared. But he learns the lesson too late, and he dies.
It’s heartbreaking! Yes, he is selfish. He is stupid, he is unprepared. Why does the central character in a movie have to be totally likable or make good decisions? That doesn’t mean the audience can’t feel sympathy and pain for how lost he was. Sometimes wisdom comes too late, and that’s a tragedy. But it happens all the time. Lots of people his age(and even those that are older) are as lost emotionally as he was. To me the movie has depth because it is a cautionary tale, and has a pretty deep lesson to it. Maybe it means different things to different people, but to me it values contentedness and being thankful for what and who you have in your life.
I just think he was looking for fulfillment and answers in the wrong place, and he realized that – too late – in the end.
Re: What I never understand..
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by ljshorts
» Thu Nov 5 2015 18:41:51 Flag ▼ | Reply |
IMDb member since March 2014
Well it’s not really supposed to be a sad movie. It’s supposed to be inspiring. Chris knew that there were things wrong with the world, and he took initiative to break free from them to live a happy, meaningful life. That’s the beauty of his story. You too can break free from the shackles of tyranny, and live an enlightened simple life. He showed people it is possible. Yes it’s unfortunate that he only realized on his way out that part of the fun is enjoying life with other people. But his journey as a whole is still better than most people’s lives nowadays anyway.
He wasn’t selfish, he knew that you can’t live your life for anyone, and that nobody is going to live your life for you. He had to go and live his own life. This is usually what people don’t understand about the movie. He can’t live his life for his parents. His parents needed to learn to respect Chris’ life choices, even if it meant distancing himself from them.
All in all, he was wise beyond his years and bold enough to chase his dreams. His death was tragically clumsy. But oh well, what he’s lost in years he’s made up for in experience.