WILD * BAD WORDS

Wild - The movie was just as good as the book. It's the condensed version, though, so if you really want the meat of the story, read the book first. Reece Witherspoon plays Cheryl Strayed on her trek through the Pacific Crest Trail, and nails it. The DVD has extra footage of interviews with the real Cheryl who is now a wife and mother living in Oregon. She was able to relive parts of her trip as the movie was filmed.  In the very first scene, when Cheryl gets out of the truck, the woman behind the wheel is the real Cheryl. I would have loved to know this at the beginning of the movie because there's a sweet double meaning behind her words.

Bad Words - This movie is hilarious. Jason Bateman plays a grown man who enters kids' spelling bees. He's very unpleasant to say the least, but it's so sharp and funny, and his supporting actor so sweet, that you cannot help but be drawn in. It twists when you think it might turn, and goes to levels of inappropriateness that you don't think will really go down. Its an edgy movie with a modern new story.