Yesterday I saw a movie that made me laugh and cry...I was inspired…I was reminded of what is important in life…and…I was deeply, deeply, touched…This is a great, great, film…This is a beautiful film. This is a film about life, family, and following one’s passions and dreams...It is simply, the best film I have seen in a long, long time. Into the Wild is based on a true story by best selling author Jon Krakauer who also wrote Into Thin Air. The movie was directed by Sean Penn and, Eddie Vedder, the front man for Pearl Jam, provides the musical scores for the film. Into the Wild is a story about a young man who gives up everything in this world to follow his dream to go to Alaska. His journey begins after graduating from a prestigious college in West Virginia. While telling his parents he is thinking of enrolling in Harvard Law School he instead hits the road and heads west. The rest of the story is about the adventure and the people he meets along the way as he travels from the East Coast to Alaska. While some may sarcastically assert that this film is a moral tale about how foolish it is to follow an idealistic pipe dream I do not share such sentiments. I prefer to see this film as a metaphor about the meaning of life and the critically important lessons one can learn if one follows their passions and dreams. We live in a world where much of what we do is based on the expectations of others, our families, our friends, and society, in general, but this film explores what can happen if one follows their heart....but...This is not a sentimental film and grit and reality are not sacrificed at the altar of romanticism. This is a gut check film. This film cuts to the core for him who has ears to hear...This is a must see film...You won't regret it...and...while you may be haunted by the images, music, and ending for days, in the end, this is a story that celebrates the life of what one young man who decided to follow "his" dream...and...while I would never suggest to anyone that they follow in the footsteps of another, I would recommend that we seriously consider following his example of following the desires of our heart, even if we cannot follow the exact footsteps of his particular journey.....