Trivia
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Spoilers (1)
Daveigh Chase, Amber Heard and Evan Rachel Wood auditioned for the role of Tracy but lost to Kristen Stewart.
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Brian H. Dierker was originally hired as the technical consultant for the white-water rafting scenes. Sean Penn cast him as Rainey after Emile Hirsch suggested him for the role.
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Sean Penn once envisioned Leonardo DiCaprio as Christopher Johnson McCandless and Marlon Brando as Ron Franz when he first became interested in making the film.
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Shot on location, except for the bus scenes. According to Sean Penn they abandoned the idea of shooting at the real bus out of respect for Christopher and the McCandless family. Instead, they built a set in the wilderness, with an exact replica of the real bus.
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No stunt-men or doubles were used for Emile Hirsch, including the scenes where Chris goes through river rapids, confronts a grizzly bear or rock-climbs.
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When Sean Penn asked Eddie Vedder to do the soundtrack, he agreed on the spot, before he knew anything about the film.
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Sean Penn waited 10 years to make the film to make sure he had the approval from the McCandless family.
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Jim Gallien, the Alaskan who gave Chris the rubber boots in the opening scene, plays himself.
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According to the DVD commentary, the moose Christopher killed in the film was actually road kill found on a highway.
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The watch Emile Hirsch wears in the movie is Christopher Johnson McCandless' real life watch, given to him as a present.
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Sean Penn needed wolves during production, and even rented some from an agency. Penn played "kissy face" with several of the wolves before, during, and after production. He spent hours feeding, playing with, and petting them. Several of the wolves are still alive, and on display at Wolf Country USA in Palmer, AK.
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In the film, Christopher works at a Burger King. In the book, he is said to have worked at McDonald's.
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The temperature outdoors was at freezing when Emile Hirsch performed the naked back float down the stream.
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Zach Galifianakis was told to improvise all his lines, as his character didn't have any in the original script.
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Zach Galifianakis is a tobacco chewer in real life. He was offered the chance to fake it by chewing prunes but he insisted on chewing real tobacco for his character.
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Spoilers
The note that Christopher Johnson McCandless tacked to the bus actually said, "S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries close by and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?" The note shown in the film was a page from one of his "journals."
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