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Created Sep 18, 2015 10:53PM PST • Edited Jan 08, 2017 01:50PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   Two tenderfoots tramp along the Appalachian Trail for hundreds of miles and emerge the better for wear in A Walk in the Woods. The movie is like their hike: surprisingly enjoyable, albeit slow and plodding. It’s also rather ridiculous, as anyone who has backpacked can attest. The ill prepared hikers suffer no blisters.

   That Hollywoodized reality-cheat aside, A Walk in the Woods is not a bad way to pass a couple of hours in the theater, especially for those of us who are never going to get any closer to the A.T. than this.

   A Walk in the Woods is never less than genial and occasionally LOL funny, somewhat like an extended skit from A Prairie Home Companion. Oddly enough, Robert Redford’s erudite author plays the celebrated wit, but Nick Nolte’s clumsy lout brings the laughs, loosing several LOLers.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Robert Redford still has his moviestar charisma, here playing the gentle yet witty curmudgeon Bill Bryson. However, Emma Thompson steals every scene she’s in with him as his wife.

   Nick Nolte appears fat and boorish, yet delivers more than a few LOLs, which are sorely needed.

   Kristen Schaal brings some crazy comic energy. Her character is annoying, but she’s a talent to watch.

   Nick Offerman & Mary Steenburgen jump off screen in cameo roles.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

11. Direction Good 3.0

12. Play Very Good 3.5

13. Music Very Good 3.5

14. Visuals Really Great 4.5

    The scenery is gorgeous, especially when they get into the Great Smokey Mountains.
    That aside, the nearby image shows that at least one key wilderness scene was shot in a studio. Phony!

15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.5

17. Sex Titillating 1.7

18. Violence Gentle 1.3

19. Rudeness Salty 1.6

21. Reality

    Glib 1.7

    The movie is time-shifted to 2013 from the 1990s and the protagonists are age-shifted to their 70s from the 40-somethings that were the real hikers.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.2

23. Biological Glib 2.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0