I had to see Into the Wild before I would even consider it an Oscar contender. I had to see it with my own eyes. You see, after the over-hyped Sean Penn-directed feature The Pledge, starring Oscar fave Jack Nicholson, was nowhere to be found come awards season 2001/2002, I had to be cautious. Penn, though a beloved Oscar-winning actor, has seen two Oscar-worthy feature films go through awards season without notice. (The other being The Crossing Guard, also starring Nicholson.) But with Into the Wild, Penn may have his best chance at snagging Hollywood’s top prize.

Into the Wild is based on the best-selling non-fiction novel of the same name (written by Jon Krakauer). Through the film, we experience the journey of Christopher McCandless, who just out of college leaves his privileged existence for life on the open road. Influenced by the works of Tolstoy, Thoreau and London, among others, McCandless sets out to seek his own truth in the Alaskan wilderness.

Into the Wild stands in stark contrast to the heavy anti-war films that are already inundating the theaters. It has a humanistic twist to it that, in our current state of affairs, may begin to seem more appealing than anyone of the films that concerns itself with America’s geo-political missteps. Maybe a little hope is exactly what we all need.

Top 8 Chances
The film is outstanding, easily one of the best, most resonant films of the year, meaning it has a solid chance of getting into the Best Picture race. (I even updated the charts to reflect my confidence in the film.) Penn’s screenplay, as well as his directing, look solid for nods, especially if the Academy falls in love like audiences do. The most likely nomination, maybe even more likely than Best Picture, will be a Supporting Actor nod for Hal Holbrook, who creates sad, honest moments that standout more than most others.

TheFilmChair.com 2007-2008 Oscar Charts

[youtube 2LAuzT_x8Ek]