This year my aunt took me to my first independent film, “Into The Wild.” She didn’t try to explain the plot; rather she took me to the theater and just said, “Watch.” In the beginning, it seemed like any ordinary movie. Then, with each minute, I felt a deepening passion for the story. By the end, it is safe to call it one of the best films I’ve ever seen.

Trying to tell people about it the next day was, to my surprise, very difficult. Every friend, student, or teammate I spoke with had never heard of this movie. I tried to explain the film but somehow couldn’t. All I could tell them was the director is the famous Sean Penn, and it is based on a true story.

It was really disappointing that I couldn’t spark a conversation about the film; I have yet to meet a 16-year-old who has seen it. When telling my aunt about this disappointment, she replied, “That’s the fate of most independent films.” It’s really more about the film, the art, the story.

In the movie, a young man travels the country with complete peace and freedom, and then goes into the wild. I know that may sound boring to some, but after I saw the film and understood the story, it really created a nice feeling for me.

Not only was the movie great, but the music was amazing too. Eddie Vedder sang the entire soundtrack; the acoustic mood really made the movie even better. It’s rare for our generation to listen to music like this, but it was a great selection.

I would highly recommend reading the book or seeing the film. It was nominated for Best Picture for the Critics Choice Awards. I also want to recommend that my generation try something new, see something outside of our normal viewing experience. This really was an extraordinary film.

This movie is rated R.