Beauty Beneath the Dirt

I had high hopes. . .
I really was excited about receiving this DVD - I love the Appalachian Trail, and have many books and DVDs featuring it. I had heard about this movie last year, and was not able to see it in a theater. Well, I watched it last night for the first time, and was rather disappointed. This movie is not so much about hiking the Appalachian Trail as it is about "My Best Friend is a B***h". I got more and more irritated as the movie went on - here were these young people in these amazing places, meeting amazing people, doing amazing things, and it seemed like all the movie focused on was the screaming and crying. Thankfully, now that I've had time to simmer down, I realize that first of all, all of the people who were featured in this movie were very, very young. The other thing that I realized was that the filmmaker chose to focus on the emotional experiences, rather than the physical/intellectual experiences when making her movie. I get the impression that this film was made in...

Different Kind of Trail Movie
The movie highlights what happens when three people try to hike the Appalachian Trail together. Brother, sister, and sister's friend find out what the real meaning of "Hike your Own Hike" is. Is there drama? Almost too much, but overall, with the added bonus features the film is worth a watch. For me, it was worth the buy, but then again, I collect all hiking DVDs. If you can laugh at people's drama/crying, then go for it. Part of me found it friggin' hilarious! YMMV

Not what I expected but still great..
When I first heard about this movie, I expected to get a feel for what it would be like doing an AT thru-hike. That's really not what the movie is about although you do get a sense for some of the highlights of a typical AT thru-hike (i.e., the hiker photo album at Harpers Ferry, the abandoned bus just off the trail, "trail magic", biting flies). The real story of the movie is the interpersonal dynamics between the three hikers and their struggles to deepen or maintain their relationships with each other. OVERALL RATING: G-R-E-A-T.

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