From most of my experiences, most movies directed by actors are hilariously shallow, overbearingly self-indulgent messes that are the work of insecure thespians yearning to be taken seriously (Robert Redford, who I admire for other reasons, comes to mind). Every once in a while, however, an actor like George Clooney or Ben Affleck will sacrifice their egos in order to deliver great films. With Into the Wild, Sean Penn falls into neither camp, alternating between beautifully focused and absurdly meandering.

In turns mesmerizing and frustrating, Into the Wild tells the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a young man who, after graduating from college, donates his life savings to charity, and leaves his cushy upbringing in order to travel to Alaska and break free from civilization. As you'd probably conclude, this is the kind of movie that is much more about its characters and the journey than an actual story, and most of the drama is internal. Penn seems to have a solid understanding of this concept, and his script (adapted from Jon Krakauer's book) and direction ultimately reflect that.

Penn's freewheeling approach also happens to be Into the Wild's biggest weakness. While the film's numerous moments of natural beauty are stunning and work beautifully, there are just as many, if not more, bits that don't work. Into the Wild would benefit from a judicious editor more than anything else, and if it had lost at least 20 minutes of its nearly two-and-a-half hour runtime, it could have been a true masterpiece. (Strangely enough it was nominated for Best Film Editing at this year's Oscars and Hal Holbrook credited the editing for his nomination. Go figure. The Academy knows nothing!)

Much has been made of the performances, and most of the buzz is true. Hirsch, one of the young actors I usually feel like punching in the face for misrepresenting my generation, proves he can give a legitimate performance as the spoiled yet oddly empathetic McCandless, but it's the supporting cast that's truly incredible. Every quirky character McCandless spends time with is naturally endearing in his or her own way. Whether it be Catherine Keener, Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn, Zach Galifianakis, or any of the many others, you can very easily identify a favorite and successfully argue the case no matter whom you choose. I personally like Tracy, played by Kristen Stewart, who besides being immensely talented for a young actress that's not Ellen Page, generally strikes me as pretty cool. Her all too brief role is immensely affecting and heartbreaking, and she ably steals the scenes whose presence she graces.

While not fantastic, the special features are somewhat worthwhile. The two featurettes provide more insight than one would expect from the questionable quality found on most DVD's I've reviewed lately, and while they may not necessarily be worth the money for the two-disc edition for most people, fans of the movie, and those who get it with a rental, will more than likely be satisfied.

While quite flawed and more than a little frustrating, Into the Wild is still a movie I would cautiously recommend. It is sure to bewilder and even anger just as many viewers as it enchants, but I think that's a good thing. This is the kind of deeply personal film we just don't see anymore, and finishing the film instills the viewer with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that does ultimately make it worthwhile. To reach this kind of fulfillment, though, sometimes we need to take the bad with the good.