A Walk in the Woods (2015)

After spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) returns to the U.S., where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one of his oldest friends, Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte).

Director:

Ken Kwapis

Writers:

Michael Arndt (screenplay) (as Rick Kerb), Bill Holderman (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Redford	...	Bill Bryson
Nick Nolte	...	Stephen Katz
Emma Thompson	...	Catherine Bryson
Mary Steenburgen	...	Jeannie
Nick Offerman	...	REI Dave
Kristen Schaal	...	Mary Ellen
R. Keith Harris	...	Sam Bryson
Randall Newsome	...	TV Host
Hayley Lovitt	...	Donna
Linds Edwards	...	Darren
Susan McPhail	...	Beulah
Andrew Vogel	...	Young Hiker #1
Derek Krantz	...	Young Hiker #2
Gaia Wise	...	Becca
Tucker Meek	...	Grandson

Storyline

In this new comedy adventure, celebrated travel writer, Bill Bryson (Robert Redford), instead of retiring to enjoy his loving and beautiful wife, Catherine (Dame Emma Thompson), and large and happy family, challenges himself to hike the Appalachian Trail - two thousand two hundred miles of America's most unspoiled, spectacular and rugged countryside from Georgia to Maine. The peace and tranquility he hopes to find, though, is anything but, once he agrees to being accompanied by the only person he can find willing to join him on the trek - his long-lost and former friend Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte), a down-on-his-luck serial philanderer who, after a lifetime of relying on his charm and wits to keep one step ahead of the law - sees the trip as a way to sneak out of paying some debts and sneak into one last adventure before its too late. The trouble is, the two have a completely different definition of the word, "adventure". Now they're about to find out that when you push yourself to the ...

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Plot Keywords:

hiking | appalachian trail | hiker | backpacking | hiking trail | 

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Taglines:

When you push yourself to the edge, the real fun begins.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual references

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the movie's trailer and on the poster, Bill Bryson and Stephen Katz stand at McAfee Knob, a popular Appalachian Trail destination near Catawba, Virginia. In real-life, according to the book, Bryson and Katz left the trail in Tennessee and rejoined near Roanoke, Virginia. They never passed by McAfee Knob.

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Goofs

The postcards shown at the end of the movie from Katz are dated 2005, and in real life the hike was in the 1990s. Yet in the movie they stay at a motel with a sign that says "Founded in 1931," and Jeanine said her family has run the motel for 83 years. That would make the year 2014, nine years after Katz sent the postcards while on the trip. Also, the Daft Punk song Get Lucky came out in 2013.

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Quotes

Stephen Katz: Not bad looking, huh?
Bill Bryson: That depends.
Stephen Katz: You know what I look for in a female these days? A heartbeat and a full set of limbs.
Bill Bryson: Well, most people lower their standards as they age.
Stephen Katz: Yeah?
Bill Bryson: You've actually raised yours.

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Connections

Referenced in Half in the Bag: The Visit and Turbo Kid (2015)

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Soundtracks

The Lake
Written by Tim Grimm
Performed by Tim Grimm
Courtesy of Cavalier Music Management & Tim Grimm

User Reviews

Poor Screen Adapation of Bill Bryson's Book

I really wanted to see A Walk in the Woods.I should have known better. Bill Bryson is my favorite author and A Walk in the Woods is one of my favorite Bryson books.I know how movie makers take the printed word and turn into something totally different on the screen. So it is with this film. I really couldn't recognize anything about this movie.This really should have been call Grumpy Old Hikers. I suppose that if I had not associated the movie with the book,I should have enjoyed it a great deal more.My wife thought is was a wonderful movie but she has never read the book.

For me the biggest problem was that I thought Redford was totally miscast as Bill Bryson. He makes Bryson a kind of judgmental, holier then thou, snob. Nolte as Katz is very amusing as a crusty old Iowa coot with an overactive libido and he takes the comedy honors. Mary Steenburgen has a nice little turn as a MILF motel owner named Jeannie who gives Bryson the eye. Emma Thompson is totally wasted as Mrs Bryson. Sandra Ellis Lafferty has a short but hilarious bit as Jeannie's widowed mom who develops an immediate sexual fixation on Katz.The rest of the cast is unmemorable.

I can't recommend this movie. I was just too disappointed in it.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Walk in the Woods

Filming Locations:

Fontana Dam, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,246,267, 6 September 2015

Gross USA:

$29,504,281

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$37,461,274

Company Credits

Production Co:

Route One Entertainment, Wildwood Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1