I love reading about films that attempt to stick close to the real events that inspired the filmmakers. The film does a really good job capturing the freedom Christopher McCandless was chasing in 1992, and the highlights are always undercut by the knowledge that this journey and attempt to simply live off the land led to his death by starvation. Sean Penn developed the project for years, refusing to roll cameras without the approval of McCandless’ family. The production made four separate trips to Alaska, to capture the different seasons.
Some people play themselves and Emile Hirsch wears a watch that belonged to McCandless and was gifted to him. He was so dedicated that for one scene he floated downriver naked in freezing water, and he lost 40 pounds for the bus finale. However, Emile Hirsch is left handed and Christopher McCandless was right handed. As for the bus itself, it was too deep in the Alaskan forest to be suitable for production. So, a replica was built for filming. (Years later, the real bus was airlifted out because people would go looking for it and end up needing rescue.) The Art Department took great pains to secure or build replicas of all the Set Dressing and Props used on the actual journey, meanwhile McCandless worked at McDonalds, but the company wouldn’t give permission. So, in the film he works at Burger King.
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