“A Walk in the Woods” is about two older gentlemen who decide to hike the Appalachian Trail. It certainly couldn’t have been a walk in the park for 79-year-old Robert Redford and 75-year-old Nick Nolte to make this film. And, unfortunately, it’s a bit of a struggle to watch as well.
This is a true story, based on nature writer Bill Bryson’s personal account. Redford plays Bryson, who was 44 at the time of his real walk. Redford is nearly double that. Even with that major problem the set-up does have potential. Feeling the need to do something adventurous, Bryson decides he wants to tackle the mighty Appalachian Trail. He admits that he can’t explain his motivations for the quest to wife Catherine (played by Emma Thompson), but he’s determined, against her wishes, to go. In last year’s true-life hiking movie “Wild” we had Reese Witherspoon taking-on the Pacific Crest Trail, and there was plenty of purpose behind her journey. Here – not so much.
Joining Bryson on his “Walk in the Woods” is old friend Stephen Katz (played by Nolte), who’s not exactly in great physical condition. Together they make their way along the trail, starting in Georgia and hoping to end in Maine, some 2200 miles later. They experience plenty of ups and downs – literally falling into rivers, sliding down rocks and getting stuck in mud patches. And they get themselves into predictably wacky situations involving fellow hikers and even a couple of bears. It’s all played for laughs and the execution is so corny that many scenes are simply embarrassing to watch.
However, I never lost interest in “A Walk in the Woods” mainly because I had to see what these veteran Hollywood A-listers were going to be put through next, even though the results are rarely entertaining. The script does include some solid dialogue and exchanges between Redford and Nolte, who proves he’s still one of our best actors. As for Redford, maybe since he hardly spoke in 2013’s “All is Lost”, another film in which he tried to prove he could beat nature, he’s forgotten how to properly deliver lines.
There‘s a bit of a surprise ending, but we never learn what the point of the hike really was or what these two men were trying to achieve. One thing is clear – you need to walk the other way if you’re tempted to buy a ticket.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “A Walk in the Woods” gets a C-.
Running Time: 104 min.