Outside of puppies being thrown off of cliffs, is there anything more sad than a lonely elderly man? In Into the Wild Hal Holbrook plays Ron Franz, a man that the real-life Christopher McCandless met on his trek towards Alaska. Ron embodies everything that Chris (played by Emile Hirsch) is trying to get away from: responsibility, maturity, family, tradition. And yet, through the course of their interaction, Franz becomes a kindred spirit, looking out from his years of experience and trying to help Chris find his path.
But oh, how heartbreaking is Hal Holbrook's performance! He infuses Franz with a quiet dignity and as well as a sharp sense of loneliness. He makes you feel like Chris should stay (as opposed to venturing into the wild) if only to become family to this man.
Maybe because its so rare to see an 80-year old on screen, I noticed every line on his face, the squint of his eyes and his shuffling steps. When he recounts to Chris that he lost his wife and child in an accident years ago, all of the shallowness and futility of Chris's treks to avoid civilized life, to avoid family and attachments, are brought to light. I don't think its what the movie was trying to say, but I came away from it feeling like the real answers lie with men like Franz who quietly live on despite pain and sorrow.
I don't know what happened to the real Ron Franz, and I don't know how true to life Holbrook's performance was. All I know is that he transformed the movie for me, bringing me to tears. His performance completely and utterly broke my heart. And he lost the Best Supporting Actor to Javier Bardem. I hope that he has another role like this soon; I would hate to see an actor as good as this not get his due.
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