Call of the Wild (2007 film)
Encyclopedia
The Call of the Wild is a 2007 documentary by independent filmmaker Ron Lamothe
. The premise details the odyssey of Christopher McCandless
,
documentary on Christopher McCandless. Lamothe begins his journey in California
at Slab City
where McCandless stayed during the holidays in 1991. From there, Lamothe ventures to Lake Mead
, incidentally passing through the Sean Penn
's production of Into the Wild
, a major motion picture adaptation
about McCandless. Lamothe then decides to visit Carthage
, South Dakota
where McCandless took on a job working on a farm in September 1990 and April 1992. However, like McCandless, Lamothe travels to Carthage solely by hitchhiking. After many days of traveling, Lamothe finally makes it to Carthage, but learns that no one in the town will take interviews for Lamothe's documentary since they are totally under contract by Paramount Pictures
for Penn's film. Finally, Lamothe arrives in Alaska to see the bus where McCandless died in August 1992.
McCandless also did not destroy his driver's license or social security card, nor did he burn all his cash. In fact, in a hidden pocket found on McCandless's backpack was his wallet with all forms of ID and $300 in cash.
Ron Lamothe
Ron Lamothe is a director of documentary films and the founder of Terra Incognita Films.In 2000, Lamothe began pre-production on The Political Dr. Seuss, a documentary on the life and "political" works of Theodor Geisel. In 2004, the documentary aired nationwide on PBS as the season premiere of...
. The premise details the odyssey of Christopher McCandless
Christopher McCandless
Christopher Johnson McCandless was an American hitchhiker who adopted the name Alexander Supertramp and hiked into the Alaskan wilderness in April 1992 with little food and equipment, hoping to live for a time in solitude...
,
Content
During the summer of 2006, Ron Lamothe, an aging filmmaker whose projects seem to be on hold due to him being a committed father, decides to make a road tripRoad trip
A road trip is any journey taken on roads, regardless of stops en route. Typically, road trips are long distances traveled by automobile.-Pre-automobile road trips:...
documentary on Christopher McCandless. Lamothe begins his journey in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at Slab City
Slab City
Slab City or The Slabs is a camp in the Colorado Desert in southeastern California, used by recreational vehicle owners and squatters from across North America. It takes its name from the concrete slabs and pylons that remain from the abandoned World War II Marine barracks Camp Dunlap there...
where McCandless stayed during the holidays in 1991. From there, Lamothe ventures to Lake Mead
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is located in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. The centerpieces of the National Recreation Area are its two large reservoirs: Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. These lakes cater to boaters, swimmers, sunbathers, and fishermen while the surrounding desert rewards...
, incidentally passing through the Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
's production of Into the Wild
Into the Wild (film)
Into the Wild is a 2007 American biographical drama film directed by Sean Penn. It is an adaptation of 1996 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer based on the travels of Christopher McCandless across North America in the early 1990s. The film stars Emile Hirsch as McCandless with...
, a major motion picture adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
about McCandless. Lamothe then decides to visit Carthage
Carthage, South Dakota
Carthage is a city in Miner County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 144 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Carthage is located at ....
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
where McCandless took on a job working on a farm in September 1990 and April 1992. However, like McCandless, Lamothe travels to Carthage solely by hitchhiking. After many days of traveling, Lamothe finally makes it to Carthage, but learns that no one in the town will take interviews for Lamothe's documentary since they are totally under contract by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
for Penn's film. Finally, Lamothe arrives in Alaska to see the bus where McCandless died in August 1992.
New findings
Lamothe documents several new findings against Krakauer's book and Penn's film. One finding states for a fact that McCandless was not poisoned by potato seeds as Krakauer suspected as the seeds are, in fact, harmless (the film depicts that McCandless was poisoned by wild berries he mistakenly had eaten).McCandless also did not destroy his driver's license or social security card, nor did he burn all his cash. In fact, in a hidden pocket found on McCandless's backpack was his wallet with all forms of ID and $300 in cash.