Reel Alternatives’ next movie on Feb. 4 is Into the Wild, director Sean Penn’s most ambitious film to date, which chronicles the fascinating life of Christopher McCandless, the anti-hero of Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction book of the same name.

McCandless, born into wealth and privilege, tosses it all away the day he graduates college in 1990, donating all his money to OXFAM and burning his ID. He then hits the road, encountering others who chose unconventional paths until he eventually loses himself in Alaska. His end is tragic, but it does not arrive before he discovers some basic truths about the human condition.

Penn is a master visual poet; the various Americas portrayed here are spectacular and haunting. The landscape photography brings remarkable new meaning and gravity to iconic mountains, deserts and snowdrifts. Emile Hirsch’s portrayal of McCandless is a revelation, gradually drawing us into a complex, frequently stubborn and naïve character who represents the self-doubt in us all.

An extraordinary ensemble cast includes Catherine Keener as the hippie who sacrificed too much for her freedom, and veteran television actor Hal Holbrook, whose supporting role has earned one of the film’s two Oscar nods (the other nomination is for best editing).

Was Christopher McCandless a heroic adventurer or a naïve idealist, a rebellious 1990s Thoreau or another lost American son, a fearless risk-taker or a tragic figure who wrestled with the precarious balance between man and nature? Ultimately, Into The Wild is about the quest itself, the hunger for personal and spiritual fulfillment that, at one time or another, plagues each of us.

Into the Wild is sponsored by Algonquin Outfitters and will be shown Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Twin Cinema. Rated 14A. Advance tickets are $7 at Muskoka Country Furniture and Gifts on Main Street, or $8 at the door if available.

Upcoming Reel Alternatives movies include Ron Howard’s documentary, In the Shadow of the Moon on Feb. 18 and No Country for Old Men on March 3. See more about the movies and this non-profit group at reelalternativeshuntsville.ca.