There’s lots of reasons to be interested in “Wild,” Fox Searchlight’s upcoming drama starring Reese Witherspoon. For one, it could be her “127 Hours,” as it’s about a woman in the wilderness all by herself and by all accounts, like that movie, it’s mostly a one-(wo)man show. Secondly, it’s directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, the filmmaker behind “Dallas Buyers Club” who directed Matthew McConaughey to his first Best Actor Oscar award earlier this year. It’s also written by celebrated author Nick Hornby.
We already had a hunch this one could be a strong vehicle for Witherspoon and placed it on our 2014 Premature Oscar Predictions for Best Actress. And maybe there’s something to that; Searchlight just announced that the film has been dated for an Oscar-friendly December 5th release date later this year.
Here’s the official synopsis:
With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon)has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone. WILD powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her.
It’s unclear how much of a one-woman show this is because Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Gaby Hoffmann, Kevin Rankin and Michiel Huisman co-star (but “127 Hours” had its share of small quick character cameos too). “Wild” will open in select theaters, likely followed by a rollout similar to “Dallas Buyers Club” (a movie that didn’t seem like it was on anyone’s Oscar radar in the fall and then turned around and took home three Academy statuettes in February). And check out a new photo of the film below.