Watched this movie tonight... I wanted to recommend it in my status on Facebook, but felt it inappropriate since I think most people would find the film disturbing or weird. It's about a kid, Chris, who graduates from college in the US, perfect GPA, promising career opportunities, but he's upset with society and his options ahead. He gives all his money to charity, burns his IDs, and takes off to Alaska to live off the earth.
The film is tragic, mostly because Chris doesn't communicate with his family. His parents' marriage is transformed by his disappearance. His sister narrates the film, which might be why it spoke to me so deeply. As a sister, if either of my brothers disappeared I think life would stop for me.
Chris' mission in going to Alaska and getting rid of his identity and money is to experience truth. He felt everything he had done with his life prior to going to Alaska was about conforming, his ego, and catering to other peoples' or societies' expectations.
I recommend the film, and relate to it in so many ways. I feel instead of running off to the wild, to nature, you should probably run to inner cities, to people. Couldn't one diminish the ego, experience truth or transcendence, in helping others or the planet? If you're serious about life, and about not making it money oriented or growing your ego with job titles, why not make it about others? I so understand loving nature, wanting to feel surrounded by it, the beauty, simplicity. Can the same "transcendence" one feels out in the wild be experienced through helping others? And if it can't, is your ego the one that's driving you to isolate yourself in nature or traveling?
I get a lot of enjoyment from people, especially family, and have high hopes for society. I didn't post this movie on my Facebook since I felt most people would be freaked out by it, the weirdness of dropping out of society, abandoning family, to experience personal realness or truth. I guess I'm freaked about by what Chris did too. But you should watch the movie!
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