I'll start by saying I've not read the book, so I looked at the movie more for "what it was" than "what it wasn't". What it is, is a good story of a boy caught up in all kinds of bad things beyond his control and not just surviving; but triumphing. Accidentally discovering his mom is having an affair. Watching his dad pack up and leave. Oh, and having the only other person in your plane (who also happens to be the pilot) die right before your eyes, riding the plane out of radio range 'till your flying coffin runs out of fuel and crashes in a remote northern lake can suck too! The movie is perhaps not as polished and handed to you on a silver platter as some here might like. There are points one can fault and poke at if one wishes. But the cinematography is great, and the young actor carries his role well. While the character of Brian is lucky, he's also a young man reacting genuinely to what life hands him AND STILL using his brain. There's nothing presented there so far as survival, that a young person who is not a stranger to thinking couldn't come up with. And perhaps it not being so "polished" brings an air of "real-life" and "genuine". One can easily believe this is a young person reacting as a boy in that situation would. You can easily believe he is totally cut off from the world -- rather than just being an actor surrounded by dozens of support and artistic staff watching him perform. I think the plot flows, the flashbacks work, the setting is perfect, and Jared's portrayal of a boy abandoned first by parents then by the world, is professionally delivered considering his age. Not too many spoilers, but my favourite moments were the worms, how nonchalantly he handled the opening of the survival pack and tossed aside the survival guide (having already learned what he needed on his own), and how casually he greeted his rescuer, asking him if he wanted some supper!
The ending gave a lot to think about too. Brian's reaction to the plethora of food suddenly laid out before him; comforts and luxuries galore; the look and smile he gave his mom; how well he handled mom's new boyfriend; his taking his place at the head of the family table not as a hurt boy, but as a recovering young adult. (Those reviewers guffawing that he seems to have done this "without therapy" under-sell the resilience of the Human spirit greatly.)
A good watch if you like survival movies, coming-of-age movies, can relate to childhood abandonment issues like divorce . . . and are willing to grant a respectable movie enough artistic license to truly connect with what the writer is trying to convey.
The ending gave a lot to think about too. Brian's reaction to the plethora of food suddenly laid out before him; comforts and luxuries galore; the look and smile he gave his mom; how well he handled mom's new boyfriend; his taking his place at the head of the family table not as a hurt boy, but as a recovering young adult. (Those reviewers guffawing that he seems to have done this "without therapy" under-sell the resilience of the Human spirit greatly.)
A good watch if you like survival movies, coming-of-age movies, can relate to childhood abandonment issues like divorce . . . and are willing to grant a respectable movie enough artistic license to truly connect with what the writer is trying to convey.