It wasn't so much that, Steve, as completely omitting so many key points in the book that made it such a wonderful read. Bryson told numerous - usually hilarious - stories about his partner Katz, the characters they met along the way, his observations of culture and trail-building; and they were either missing or were so watered down as to be as good as MIA. It was really these anecdotes and sidebars that made AWitW so different from most of the other I-found-myself long trail books.
As to the hiking technicalities, yeah, there were a few head-scratchers. Two old guys covering hundreds of miles of steep trail wearing heavy packs - with trekking poles always strapped on but never in use. Numerous scenes where they dropped their loaded 85l packs, and the packs were obviously light as a feather. Meeting an AT SoBo in April in Georgia (implying an early-winter start in Maine). A movie about through-hiking the AT that had precious little hiking in it. Sequences were screwy as well. Somehow the iconic AT plaque on Springer Mountain that begins the trail got moved several dozen miles north past Neel's Gap. McAfee Knob in Virginia (the jaw-dropping ledge overlook) either moved a couple of hundred miles north or they were cluelessly hiking southbound for weeks. If that dramatic, narrow, exposed section where they took a tumble and spent the night "trapped" really exists, I'd like to know where it is. Other than the obligatory bear scene, zero wildlife was depicted.
Those were nuisances, and unfortunately expected in a Hollywood rendition of a book, but the scene where two Grizzlies invaded their camp . . . Barb and I looked at each other and said, "those are Grizzlies" in unison at about the same time Redford shouts, "Grizzlies!" Might as well have a T-Rex come roaring out of the southern woods. How much research do you have to do to know the only wild Grizzlies in the Lower 48 are clustered around Yellowstone/Glacier and spottily along the Canadian border?
As I said, though, the cinematography was great - the many scenes in Georgia were spot-on and clearly filmed on location. The Virginia scenery was outstanding. The casting was good - Nolte may not have been the perfect Katz as pictured in the book, but he handled the role well, as did Redford. This was Redford's movie, though, from start to finish, and he worked on it many years. I expected a more accurate representation of the book's special character and was disappointed.
Looking forward to the release of Everest next week. I hear the cinematography is mind-blowing.
