SYNOPSIS: In this new comedy adventure, celebrated travel writer, Bill Bryson (Academy Award winner Robert Redford), instead of retiring to enjoy his loving and beautiful wife (Academy Award winner Emma Thompson), and large and happy family, challenges himself to hike the Appalachian Trail - 2,200 miles of America’s most unspoiled, spectacular and rugged countryside from Georgia to Maine.

The peace and tranquility he hopes to find, though, is anything but, once he agrees to being accompanied by the only person he can find willing to join him on the trek - his long lost and former friend Katz (Academy Award nominee Nick Nolte), a down-on-his-luck serial philanderer who, after a lifetime of relying on his charm and wits to keep one step ahead of the law – sees the trip as a way to sneak out of paying some debts and sneak into one last adventure before its too late. The trouble is, the two have a completely different definition of the word, "adventure". Now they're about to find out that when you push yourself to the edge, the real fun begins.

REVIEW: At first glance, 'A Walk in the Woods' can appear to be anticlimactic, but taking a step back, you realize that the story is actually more true to life than most of the exaggerated storytelling of the film industry. An older audience would be more appreciative of this film, being able to relate to the experience of getting older, entering retirement, and wondering "is this really it?"

Bill Bryson is a writer who is dissatisfied with the prospect of spending his retirement learning about his friends' deaths, attending their funerals, and waiting for his. So he gets an idea to hike the Appalachian Trail. Despite all protests from his wife, he embarks on his adventure, having met her criteria of doing it with a friend. It is quite entertaining to watch Bill and his friend, Katz, probably two of the oldest and most unlikely "hikers", attempting the famous trek from Georgia to Maine. The adventure is much more than they bargained for -- snow storms, falling into rivers, and even bears! And let's not forget the other perky, happy-go-lucky hikers showing up Bill and Katz's deficiencies and causing their manhood to shrink.

The turning point happens when Bill and Katz get stuck on the edge of a cliff, with no way to get back up to the trail. Under the stars, contemplating their fate and life, they both realize what they miss. For Bill, his wife and family: For Katz, his hometown and the annual town Family Fair, is where it’s at. When they are rescued, Bill and Katz decide they've had enough, they've "hiked the Appalachian Trail," and it's time to head back home. It's worth mentioning that this part of the story can seem to be a bit anticlimactic, but that might be explained by the desensitizing effect of being exposed to Hollywood's over-dramatizations. In real life, turning points tend to be more subtle, such as what happened with Bill and Katz. They were only stuck on the cliff for a short time, but it was enough to make them realize what was important to them in life. And the movie did an excellent job of showcasing this reality.

Comedy-wise, the film had its fair share with the sporadic, but consistent comedic value added by the pair of legendary actors. Bill's sense of humor is quite entertaining, especially when it's directed at Katz. And Katz's tales of women he's been with over the years keeps the humor rolling during any would-be dull moments of the film. When all is said and done, what we’re left with is a film that brings the inevitable to light. The idea that if we are lucky enough, we will see retirement and witness the not so glamourous side of “waiting your turn,” as Robert Redford’s Bill character so eloquently articulated on one of his many ramblings. Three and a half stars out of five are certainly well deserved here and it is a perfect date night movie, type of flick for the theaters, with the parents or grandparents in tow.

MORE MOVIE REVIEWS >>>