A Walk in the Woods - C+

Rated R, 98 minutes

The thinly charming, predictable "A Walk in the Woods" is loosely based on a true story, though after seeing it you'd have to think the real story was much more adventurous than this dull, episodic tale, which seems a surface, trifle exploration of friendship in elements. After spending two decades in Britain, celebrated travel humorist author Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) returns to his native United States. In an effort to reconnect with his country, he decides to hike the 2,200 stunning miles of the Appalachian Trail. But while he had envisioned it as a trek of relaxation and tranquility, it becomes something entirely different when his philandering, former friend Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte) joins him on the trip. Directed by Ken Kwapis ("The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") and co-written by Rick Kerb and Bill Holderman and based on the novel and experiences of real-life author Bryson and his friend Katz, this mildly engaging trip seems more intent on the odd-couple grousings of two older men who seem ill-equipped to handle what nature seems to give them. The charming leads are game, including the miscast Redford, who is too old for the role and looks nothing like the real Bryson, along with the better cast Nolte, who chews scenery and is the most memorable part of the movie, aside from the real shots of the lovely Appalachian Trail. The film meanders in its second act, especially a misplaced off-trail sequence involving Nolte's amorous escapades, and Redford's Bryson spends a lot of time talking about the trees, griping that he always finishes what he starts, as well as insisting he won't be writing a book - yet interestingly (and this is not a spoiler if you're familiar with Bryson's book) - they don't completely finish the trek and of course Bryson does end up writing a book - something that seems anti-climactic given the film's premise. I liked the Redford-Nolte teaming, but "A Walk in the Woods" is a disappointment and lacks authenticity (the film's climactic scene appears to have been shot on a studio soundstage) or a sense of real wonder.