A DVD recommendation for Into the Wild probably comes down to expectations. Have you read the book? Did you see the film in theaters? My own experience with the DVD came from a place of missing it originally in theaters, though I did read the book back when it first came out.

With the weight of those biases intact I can tell you that, although I found the book moving and the film beautiful, it's still not a fully functioning story to me. It's not a film that will ever rank as great for me because the source material dooms it. This isn't anyone's fault, mind you -- but the idea of a kid wandering off into the wilderness will always be a little absurd to me. However, even with that strike against it this film is still probably one worth watching for true fans of cinema.

The story is about Christopher McCandless and his journey to shed himself of material possessions and strike out into the wild. He wants to live off the land and be free of the everyday burdens that society places upon us all. Along the way he meets with fellow drifters and encounters the danger that comes from living so far from cultural comforts. Sean Penn directs, Hal Holbrook was nominated for an Academy Award for his work near the end of the film, and Emile Hirsch takes a shot at bringing Christopher to the big screen.

The current difference on Amazon between the Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition and the single disc version is $6.00. So what do you get for your extra six bucks? There are two features on the extra disc. The first is entitled "The Story, The Characters." It features a bit about the transition from book to film (which took a decade) and gives insight into the enigma that is Sean Penn. The second feature is called "The Experience" and it goes through the movie shoot itself, which was pretty epic. To Penn's credit he made this an outdoorsy shoot, and they visited the actual bus Chris lived in (in Alaska). Also impressive are the few minutes they spend on Emile Hirsch's weight loss. He went from 156 pounds to 115 pounds over the course of seven months. That's insane. I would have liked to see more about his diet than they offered, though. All in all the special features add up to 38 minutes.

Now for the bad news: the disc doesn't come with a commentary. Neither of the discs do. There aren't deleted scenes either. The movie does feature 5.1 surround sound for those of you interested. And of course subtitles. But overall the DVD feels a bit rushed to print.

My completely unsubstantiated opinion is that those who haven't read the book probably liked this film best. The ending and approach are not your traditional narrative and the real-life factor gives this movie a greater emotional impact than most. Eddie Vedder collaborated on the soundtrack, and it adds to the genuine feel. And as I said before, the look of the movie is indeed beautiful. If you haven't seen this one I would at the very least suggest a rental. Past that I can't offer much in the way of advice. You'll have to make your own peace with ownership principles.

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