Southbounders (2005) User Reviews

Not what I expected - but good

[CinemaPat · 7/10 · 27 October 2010]

At first glance, one might think this is a documentary. Especially after viewing the opening sequence. At least, that is what I thought. I was expecting a documentary about a thru-hike southbound on the AT, but was pleasantly surprised to find out this actually had a story.

Southbounders tells the tale of a fed-up 20 something who decides to attempt to find something she was missing in her life by hiking southbound from Maine to Georgia on the Appalachian Trail. The film is chock full of gorgeous vistas and shots of beautiful nature. I can really appreciate that they filmed this movie actually on the trail which was great. The soundtrack is one of the films most appealing features. This movie has a lot of heart, you can tell the filmmakers really have a love for hiking and the AT itself.

Olivia, the lead of the movie, begins the journey as a "newbie" but learns the tricks of the trade by reading the log books scattered throughout the trail and hiking with a goofball "comic relief" character named "Slackpack". She finds that she is having a strong connection with one of the hikers leaving notes in the log book. A crush begins and the rest of the film is her hiking with this mysterious man through the rest of the Appalachia Trail. We see the relationship build and ultimately fall.

The story was surprisingly good as was the acting. I would have liked to have seen more of the trail and their journey. The movie seemed to have skipped an entire season (Winter), which would have been interesting to see. I suppose the filmmakers couldn't film in those conditions.

All in all it was a surprisingly good and well made film. I enjoyed it and made me want to go hike the AT, so I suppose they accomplished what they set out to do.

Excellent!

[clintberquist-1 · 10/10 · 25 October 2005]

I caught this film on Saturday at the SMMASH film festival in Excelsior, MN. It was completely sold out and the Director and lead actors were in attendance. I had heard of people hiking the Appalachean trail before and had heard of a documentary about a guy who made the hike last year that I thought might be this movie. Turns out this was a narrative and not a doc, but still excellent.

You would think that a movie about people walking wouldn't be very interesting, but they really did a good job focusing on the personal relationships on a life changing adventure. Accurately went through the ups and downs and it was obvious that Ben Wagner had been through some of these experiences himself. I wish there would have been a Q&A afterward so I could have asked him some questions about the making of the movie.

Slackpack steals many scenes. Christopher McCutchen is super funny. If you see this movie around, you should check it out.

A fun hiking movie?

[bumbleb_79 · 10/10 · 1 November 2005]

THIS IS NOT A DOCUMENTARY!!! I thought it was going to be one when I saw it, but it's not. It is a great story that makes hiking interesting. The love story feels right, and it goes its own direction and isn't forced to fit into some Hollywood mold. I think the characters end up making the right choices for themselves at the end, and not what they're supposed to do in a movie. And it's funny- The other guy ought to be on TV. I didn't know that much about the Apalachian trail before I saw it, and I learned a lot about it. I don't know if I want to hike it, but it seems like a great experience for those that do. AWESOME! Thumbs Up!

A beautiful film

[PatrickWilliamsMusic · 10/10 · 30 March 2006]

The story is simple, eloquent, and heartfelt. The subtle strength of the acting adds a truthful reality that is rarely found in films these days. There are no answers, no huge plot twists, no Hollywood hoopla ... it is simply a taste of three people's journey of self discovery ... and, the Appalachian Trail provides the perfect backdrop. This film captured it's mysterious allure, the painful determination, the thrown-together friendships, and the lonely hike. There's some romance (REAL life romance between Olivia and Rollin -- the kind that's messy, tentative, and confusing), some humor (provided quite wonderfully by the character of Slackpack), breathtaking scenery, and a "feel good" uplifting nature by the end. And the score rocks!!! Bravo!! I want more films like this!

Southbounders has captured my heart!

[lizwulff · 10/10 · 19 January 2006]

I am not an outdoorsy type of person. Nor am I particularly interested in nature, hiking or athleticism. But I looked up long enough from old re-runs of Dr. 90210 to catch this quietly beautiful film. It really captures the loneliness and beauty that people tell me exists outdoors. This is a realistic take on young romance and is a fantastic coming of age story. The acting is superb and the soundtrack is perfection. Any under-achieving over-achiever will be drawn into this realistic portrayal of a lost but yet ambitious young woman hoping to find herself. How anyone could sleep in the outdoors for six months is beyond me, but it was fascinating to learn about this aspect of a sub-culture. Southbounders, I think I love you!

Excellent!!

[katydid13 · 10/10 · 19 July 2006]

An excellent coming of age story. The movie is beautiful. It was obviously a labor of love for the director and many others involved. The characters are very real. If you ever did all the "right" things that everyone wanted to you and then wondered on on earth your life ended up where it did then you will related to the main character.

While I understand that Wagner has no intention of making a career out of making family friendly films, this one is just that. Or maybe an adult family friendly film since young children would not be interested. You can however watch it with your grandmother, your mother's best friend, and your most uptight aunt and no one will be uncomfortable. I speak from personal experience.

A great movie

[billbrealtor · 10/10 · 30 March 2015]

This is a documentary that collided with a romantic comedy. The movie was released in 2005 and was very well written. If you are a prolific hiker or watch the movie a couple times you see a lot of little facts that are great. Movie has a large number of details that the writer could have only known about from hiking the AT. Very well made and if you are interested in hiking you will love this movie. Additionally, the lead character is a female which few films have successfully done. The sound track is also very well done. The composure of the music really connected with the content.

The other reviewers are correct. Watch this movie!!