Prior to his death, Paul Newman was originally set to star opposite Robert Redford in Ken Kwapis' long in-development A Walk in the Woods. While the reuniting of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid would have been a treat for any movie fan, replacement Nick Nolte holds his own in the dramedy based off Bill Bryson's memoir of the same name.
Telling the story of an aged travel writer who decides to walk the Appalachian Trail in order to better understand his own backyard, A Walk in the Woods doesn't bring anything new or different to the forefront. However, strong performances from both of its leads helps pave way to an interesting coming-of-age tale that, though cliché at times, hits just enough right spots to work.
Kwapis, most known for his work as a sitcom director, brings the comedic style to the big screen through witty one-liners and quick banter. For the first twenty minutes it works; however, as the story progresses and we are left with Redford's Bryson and Nolte's Katz battling the elements, their age and each other, the cute laugh track fails to materialize into anything memorable. Combat that with the fact that "˜guest stars' enter and exit in fairly quick succession and the film often reads more like a television marathon than an actual full-length feature.
Thankfully, we had two stellar veteran actors to distract us from the onslaught of wise cracks and slapstick humor. Both Redford and Nolte attack their roles head on, offering up the necessary humor but focusing on the growth of their individual characters to really push things forward. It isn't perfect, far from it in fact as the obstacles the two encounter are both juvenile and mundane. But somehow the duo are able to pull it all together and give viewers a film that offers up a wholesome, though painfully transitional story.
For many the age of both Redford and Nolte will be an issue - and I fully understand why, especially in comparison to the source material. The likelihood of two 80-year-olds venturing out on a journey such as this is a bit ridiculous to even consider. But when viewing it merely in the context of the message, it doesn't have much of an effect on things. The two struggle with the walking, the cooking, and the "social" aspect of the adventure. Neither of them ever looks comfortable in their situation, solidifying the fish-out-of-water experience that makes A Walk in the Woods so intriguing. I won't deny that ultimately the film wasn't quite what it could have been. But I also wasn't too disappointed. I just wish they hadn't played it so safe and given us a bit more meat to chew on and not focused so heavily on the laughs.
