[quote name='hiccupleftovers']Into the Wild - Wow, crap on a cracker. I can't believe people bought into this movie. Visually pleasing; beautifully aesthetic, but the overall character and plot are just garbage.
It's just the story of a selfish, self-centered, arrogant, angst ridden, uncaring young man who never owned up and accepted his issues with himself and life. Rather than comign to terms with himself and others around him, the film showcases an "adventure" and makes it seem as though it something which should be emulated, when Chris is merely running away from his problems. Chris can be interpreted as having mental illness, not some great existential, mystic spiritual journey. The movie so wants to be good, but the way it presents its story and it protagonist as worthwhile individuals, while being oblivious to their true faults just makes the film seem mindless. His death should never have been shown as an actual and worthwhile vision quest. Everyone's been screwed over/up by their folks, but that's part of life, but clearly not part of the "Supertramp lifestyle," and doesn't give one any reason to behave the way he did towards his parents, and especially his sister.[/QUOTE]
That's pretty much the way this movie/book is. Some people sympathize with Chris and find the story moving and uplifting, others view him the way you did and hate it.
I have this type of discussion over the movie, in a journalism class where the book was an assigned reading we discussed in class etc.
But you should fault the book, rather than the film as the film is very true to the books portrayal of McCandless. Krakauer was very sympathetic to him as he'd taken similar journeys into the wild, mountain climing etc. to get away from society at times in his life.