Labor Day weekend is approaching, so it's time to pass the marshmallows and gather around the campfire — or to do the cinematic equivalent: watch Robert Redford and Nick Nolte swap stories and reminisce in "A Walk in the Woods."
In this warmly funny adaptation of travel author Bill Bryson's 1998 memoir, Redford plays Bryson, who is feeling his oats after attending another funeral of someone from his generation. Walking near his New Hampshire home, he comes across a local section of the Appalachian Trail, the 2,118-mile hiking trail that runs from Maine to Georgia. On a whim, Bryson decides he's going to hike it.
Bryson's wife, Catherine (Emma Thompson), is having none of it, but knows she won't dissuade her husband once his mind is made up. His one concession to her fears of bear attacks, coronary episodes and a million other possible calamities is that Bryson must find a companion for the hike. After striking out with all his contacts, Bryson gets an out-of-the-blue call from Steven Katz (played by Nolte), an irascible old friend who has not seen Bryson in ages.
Bryson and Katz are polar opposites. Bryson is fit for his age, while Katz is a wreck with a replacement knee and a prodigious gut. Bryson spouts trivia about the trees and geology around them, while Katz is more interested in flirting with overweight women they encounter. And while Bryson has found bliss in marriage and family, Katz is still a wolf on the prowl.
These differences come to a head as they argue amiably on the trail, though they band together when encountering such interesting characters as a know-it-all hiker (Kristen Schaal), a charming hotel proprietor (Mary Steenburgen) and a couple of black bears.
Director Ken Kwapis ("He's Just Not That Into You") sets his stars up for moments of broad comedy, which the two old pros handle with aplomb. Nolte puts plenty of bluster into his performance as Katz, while Redford exercises his long-dormant comic chops with droll, deadpan delivery.
But "A Walk in the Woods" is at its best when Redford and Nolte let the laughs subside, and just relax as two guys contemplating their lives, mortality and the joys of one last adventure together. By the time it's over, you suspect both of them — as characters and as actors — still have a few more walks left in them.
spmeans@sltrib.com
Twitter: @moviecricket
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'A Walk in the Woods'
Robert Redford and Nick Nolte are charming and funny in this true story of two old friends looking for a new adventure on the Appalachian Trail.
Where • Theaters everywhere.
When • Opens Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Rating • R for language and some sexual references.
Running time • 102 minutes.
This photo provided by Broad Green Pictures shows, Robert Redford as Bill Bryson, in the film, "A Walk in the Woods." The movie releases in U.S. theaters on Sept. 2, 2015. (Frank Masi, SMPSP/Broad Green Pictures via AP)
This photo provided by Broad Green Pictures shows, Robert Redford as Bill Bryson in the film, "A Walk in the Woods." The movie releases in U.S. theaters on Sept. 2, 2015. (Frank Masi, SMPSP/Broad Green Pictures via AP)
This photo provided by Broad Green Pictures shows, Robert Redford, left, as Bill Bryson and Nick Nolte as Stephen Katz taking in the view along the Appalachian Trail in the film, "A Walk in the Woods." The movie releases in U.S. theaters on Sept. 2, 2015. (Frank Masi, SMPSP/Broad Green Pictures via AP)
This photo provided by Broad Green Pictures shows, Nick Nolte, from left, as Stephen Katz and Robert Redford as Bill Bryson hiding from fellow hiker, Kristen Schaal as Mary Ellen, along the Appalachian Trail in the film, "A Walk in the Woods." Redford co-stars with Nolte and Emma Thompson in the movie which releases in U.S. theaters on Sept. 2, 2015. (Frank Masi, SMPSP/Broad Green Pictures via AP)
This photo provided by Broad Green Pictures shows, Nick Nolte, from left, as Stephen Katz, Rowan Bousaid as the Car Rental Agent and Robert Redford as Bill Bryson hiding from fellow hiker, Kristen Schaal as Mary Ellen, along the Appalachian Trail in the film, "A Walk in the Woods." Redford co-stars with Nolte and Emma Thompson in the movie which releases in U.S. theaters on Sept. 2, 2015. (Frank Masi, SMPSP/Broad Green Pictures via AP)
This photo provided by Broad Green Pictures shows, Robert Redford, left, as Bill Bryson, and Nick Nolte as Stephen Katz, in the film, "A Walk in the Woods." Redford co-stars with Nolte and Emma Thompson in the movie which releases in U.S. theaters on Sept. 2, 2015. (Frank Masi, SMPSP/Broad Green Pictures via AP)
This photo provided by Broad Green Pictures shows, Robert Redford, left, as Bill Bryson, and Nick Nolte, as Stephen Katz taking a break while hiking the Appalachian Trail in the film, "A Walk in the Woods." Redford co-stars with Nolte and Emma Thompson in the movie which releases in U.S. theaters on Sept. 2, 2015. (Frank Masi, SMPSP/Broad Green Pictures via AP)
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