Wildlike (2014)

After conditions in her new home become unbearable, a teenage girl runs away and befriends an older man preparing for a hike through the Alaskan wilderness.

Director:

Frank Hall Green

Writer:

Frank Hall Green

Stars:

Ella Purnell, Brian Geraghty, Diane Farr

47 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ella Purnell	...	Mackenzie
Brian Geraghty	...	Uncle
Diane Farr	...	Mom
Nolan Gerard Funk	...	Tommy
Joshua Leonard	...	Dad
Julia Forster	...	Lizzie
Christopher Constant	...	Office Employee
Paul Wilcox	...	Office Employee
Thomas Daly	...	Office Employee
Teddy Kyle Smith	...	Blain
Ossie Kairaiuak	...	Outdoor Store Employee
Russell Josh Peterson	...	Mendenhall Guy with Dog (as Russell Peterson)
Bruce Greenwood	...	Bartlett
Jamie Nelson	...	Anchorage Kite Person
Rich Capitan	...	Anchorage Kite Person

Storyline

Mackenzie, a troubled but daring teenage girl, is sent by her struggling mother to live with her uncle in Juneau, Alaska. Although Uncle seems like a supportive caretaker and friend, the relationship turns and Mackenzie is forced to run. Trying to make her way back to Seattle alone to find her absent mother, Mackenzie only winds up deeper in the Alaskan interior. Lost and with no one else to turn to, she shadows a loner backpacker, Bartlett, an unlikely father figure with scars of his own. Together, they cross the wilderness and discover sanctuary in the last frontier.

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Plot Keywords:

juneau alaska | denali national park | alaska | one word title | palmer alaska | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official Twitter

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dzika

Filming Locations:

Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Greenmachine Film, Killer Films, Tandem Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer/director Frank Hall Green took a trip to Denali National Park backpacking with his wife for 8 days in 2003. He then set the character Bart's trip in many of the exact locations he camped.

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Quotes

Bartlett: We eat a hundred yards from the tent. We don't make fires, I cook on the stove, and there are no marshmallows. Don't spill food on youself, don't break any branches, don't step on any flowers. Just leave everything the way you found it. This is bear spray. Hold on to it. Never approach and bear, or a moose, or whatever. Don't approach them. If a bear charges you then...
Mackenzie: I know what I'm doing.
Bartlett: You have no idea. But whatever you do, don't run. - Do not run. - Don't run.
Mackenzie: "Don't run." got it.

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Soundtracks

L'America
Written by Takaakira Goto
Performed by Mono (as MONO)
Used by permission of EMI Virgin Music, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

User Reviews

Elegant

I liked the film- thoughtful, visually engrossing, and deft in the complicated unraveling of the protagonist's story with a sensitivity that conveys a genuine understanding of humanity's harsher realities. Greenwood and Purnell delivered in what I'd have to call the redemption of all things good in humanity in an environment that doesn't nurture such things. Inspiring. Good storytelling here is the reason. Dealing with subject matter as potentially volatile and devastating as this can be without losing sight of the story is a very good summation of Frank Hall Green's skill as a filmmaker. I wouldn't be surprised if WILDLIKE became something of a benchmark film for a number of organizations who provide services and support for victims. This isn't a story of victimization however- it's the story of resilience and how even the simplest of gestures can result in profound hope and recovery. Highly recommend!