Movie Description: Based on a true story. After graduating from Emory University, Christopher McCandless abandoned his possessions, gave his entire savings account to charity, and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters who shape his life.
A traveler preparing for a journey to Alaska spends time with a welcoming community in the desert. Through conversations with residents like Rainy and Jen, the dialogue explores themes of love, loneliness, family estrangement, and the pursuit of personal freedom, culminating in a bittersweet farewell as the traveler moves toward their goal.
Jack London is king.
Hey, you gonna stay with us long?
Well, I'm waiting on a check for my last job to come into Salton City the day after Christmas.
I gotta start thinking about getting ready for Alaska.
When the sun gets a little lower tonight, I'm gonna start a calisthenics routine.
After the check comes in, I think I'm gonna try to find some big old mountains I can climb every day till spring comes.
I gotta see how far the money's gonna go.
Still got a lot of supplies to pick up before spring.
So, might get another job or might be okay.
Well, hell, we'd give you a little something for the days you spend in the booth here.
I'm not taking any money from you, Rainy.
It's been a real great twist meeting you two.
You two look like you're doing good.
We are doing good.
We're doing real good.
Speaking of which, don't you think you ought to introduce yourself to our little gentleman Mitchell over there?
You selling these books?
I am. We are. He was.
I like to read.
Do you?
Yeah.
That's good.
I heard you play your song last night.
I'm terrible.
You are not terrible.
You seem sweet.
Thank you.
Um, I was gonna go take a walk to Salvation Mountain.
You wanna go?
Okay.
I've been here since 1984, before I left.
A lot of tourists come in here and they look at that car door up there.
They really like it.
And I found car doors and put them up there and I bolted it all in.
Where'd you get the telephone poles?
Oh, a lot of people in the valley just love me along.
Everybody now I think in the whole world is just loving me.
And I wanna have the wisdom to love them back.
And that's about it. So I really get excited.
You really believe in love then?
Yeah. Totally.
This is a love story that is staggering to everybody in the whole world.
That God really loves us. Allah.
Does that answer that?
Yeah.
Good.
I really love it here.
I think the freedom of this place is just so beautiful.
To me, I wouldn't move for $10 million unless I had that.
So I'm contented here in the desert.
And I'm living where I wanna live.
And I think good gets better.
And I think those great big tanks there were the sewer plant for the marine base in World War II.
If you wanna, you can try putting your hands in there.
I'm gonna do the same thing. Just for the fun.
Hey, you're doing real good.
You can wipe your hands off of my shirt.
This is starting to make me hungry.
I was just a couple years older than Tracy when I got pregnant.
Yeah, I thought my husband and I were gonna just make peace on earth.
Babies in love and stay together forever.
And it might work out that way.
He left me.
So I...
Anyway, whatever. But I ended up raising Reno on my own.
That's my boy. His name's Reno.
Then I met Rainy.
That was sweet. It was really good for a while.
It was just...
You know, Reno was a teenager already by then.
And he was just on his way to becoming his own man.
And I haven't even heard for two years.
I don't even know where he is.
I hope I get to meet him sometime.
Hey, guys. Dinner's ready if you guys are hungry.
Yeah, we are.
We're hungry.
I'll be okay.
Or we'll sit here, because I will sit here with you all night.
Guys, come on. It's getting cold.
Don't bolt yourself onto a fence post.
Here you are.
The monk of jack-*******-lalang.
So Jen talked to you about Reno, huh?
Yeah.
Children can be pretty harsh when it comes...
You planning on seeing yours?
I only got one plan, Rainy.
That would be Alaska?
Alaska.
Hello. Merry Christmas.
Come in here.
My parents went into town.
No.
Yeah. They went to call my grandma for Christmas.
No, I mean, we can't do that.
Why not?
18?
17.
What year were you born?
So I'm 16.
You want to do something together?
After my mother
My old man is another
Child that's grown old
Dreams with thunder
Lightning was desire
This old house would have burnt down
A long time ago
Make me an angel
That flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster
Of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing
That I can hold on to
To believe in this living
Is just a hard way to go
You can send mail to this address.
It's in South Dakota.
I don't know when I'm going to get it, but I'll get it.
Yeah?
And just remember, if you want something in life,
Reach out and grab it.
New Year's resolution?
I don't think I can take a hug.