After spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) returns to the U.S., where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one ... Read allAfter spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) returns to the U.S., where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one of his oldest friends, Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte).After spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) returns to the U.S., where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one of his oldest friends, Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte).
- Awards
- 1 nomination
- Widow
- (as Sandra Lafferty)
- Director
- Writers
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- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe book "A Walk in the Woods" was optioned in 1998 as a project to team Robert Redford and Paul Newman together for the third time. However, years of hurdles getting this movie made and Newman's declining health before his death in 2008 ended the potential Redford and Newman reunion. Newman was intended for the role of Stephen Katz.
- GoofsThe map shown in the shelter is very inaccurate. It does not show the Appalachian Trail passing through West Virginia, New Jersey, or Connecticut. It also reverses New Hampshire and Vermont.
- Quotes
Bill Bryson: [At night, when a female hiker is loudly singing, in an annoying tone, at a late hour] Tomorrow morning, we get up early, before she's awake, and we get a headstart, and lose her.
Stephen Katz: That's a good idea. Better than my idea.
Bill Bryson: What was your idea?
Stephen Katz: We kill her, and steal her Pop Tarts.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Half in the Bag: The Visit and Turbo Kid (2015)
- SoundtracksShe Lit a Fire
Written by Ben Schneider & Brett Farkas
Performed by Lord Huron
Courtesy of Iamsound Records
By arrangement with Terrorbird Media
My first comment is that Robert Redford is just too old, way too old, for the part. By my estimate, Bill Bryson was less than 50 when he walked the trail with Katz, whereas Redford is 78. It made a big and substantial difference to my enjoyment of the movie, since a lot of the humour in the book comes from the fact that it's two middle-aged slightly overweight guys who start the walk, not two old men.
Furthermore, I found Emma Thompson's portrayal of Catherine Bryson simply irritating and humourless. Like Robert Redford, I felt she just turned up and did her lines.
Many of the best anecdotes from the book appear in the movie, and yet somehow none is anything like as funny as in the book/audio book. For example, the overweight nasal-sounding Mary Ellen segment just isn't as funny in the movie not least because the actress playing Mary Ellen is not overweight and therefore her jibe at Katz for being overweight misses the joke.
Overall, the movie was light and amusing in places, but bad casting and uncommitted acting makes it just average and with a heavy heart I rate it just 6/10. And trust me, I went in with fairly low expectations yet hoping for a good laugh. It was worse than I expected and not as funny as I'd hoped.
- rick-992
- Sep 17, 2015
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Hayatımın Yolculuğu
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $8,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $29,504,281
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,246,267
- Sep 6, 2015
- Gross worldwide
- $37,461,274
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1