Being a big fan of Bill Bryson, this movie just doesn't live up to the book. First off, both Robert Redford and Nick Nolte are miscast. They are too old for the parts, Redford being 79 years old in real life and Nolte 74. In the book, Bill Bryson and his friend Katz are in their 40's.
With that given, Redford gives a wooden performance, typical of many of his more recent movies. This again is a casting mistake, as Redford does not have that self-deprecating humor that Bryson is known for. This is not Redford's fault - it is simply the typical miscasting that has become common in Hollywood these days, as the studio's use big names as a drawing card even though the actor may not be appropriate for the part. Nolte, on the other hand, stands out with an excellent and witty, performance - no miscasting here other than the age issue. I would say that this is one of Nolte's best performances in the last few years.
Other actors in the movie generally do quite well. The best was Kristen Schaal, of "Last Man on Earth" fame. Also, very good were Emma Thompson as Catherine Bryson, and Mary Steenburger in a small part as Jeannie.
The movie's run time is a relatively short 104 minutes. There wasn't really much meat on the bone when you look at the movie as a whole. A few more scenes to spice it up might have been good.
Lastly, the cinematography was quite good, but here again a few more nice shots wouldn't have hurt. A little stronger soundtrack would have been good also. The scene with bears was wrong, as there are no grizzlies in the eastern U.S. that I'm aware of - only smaller, but still intimidating, black bears.
Overall, despite the good aspects, I am disappointed that Hollywood wrecked what could have been a great film adaptation by miscasting the two leads, especially Redford.
With that given, Redford gives a wooden performance, typical of many of his more recent movies. This again is a casting mistake, as Redford does not have that self-deprecating humor that Bryson is known for. This is not Redford's fault - it is simply the typical miscasting that has become common in Hollywood these days, as the studio's use big names as a drawing card even though the actor may not be appropriate for the part. Nolte, on the other hand, stands out with an excellent and witty, performance - no miscasting here other than the age issue. I would say that this is one of Nolte's best performances in the last few years.
Other actors in the movie generally do quite well. The best was Kristen Schaal, of "Last Man on Earth" fame. Also, very good were Emma Thompson as Catherine Bryson, and Mary Steenburger in a small part as Jeannie.
The movie's run time is a relatively short 104 minutes. There wasn't really much meat on the bone when you look at the movie as a whole. A few more scenes to spice it up might have been good.
Lastly, the cinematography was quite good, but here again a few more nice shots wouldn't have hurt. A little stronger soundtrack would have been good also. The scene with bears was wrong, as there are no grizzlies in the eastern U.S. that I'm aware of - only smaller, but still intimidating, black bears.
Overall, despite the good aspects, I am disappointed that Hollywood wrecked what could have been a great film adaptation by miscasting the two leads, especially Redford.
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