Into the Wild
I wasn't feeling it at first, because I could not identify with that dude at all. I think human relationships are pretty important. As he learned new things, I really started liking the movie. I don't know how clean a hippy is, but I fell in love with Tracy T. *Spoiler*: I don't know if I've ever wanted the protagonist in a movie to survive more than I did with this character.
that's one of the places i think the movie failed the book, and where i relate to the McCandless character. the book notes that while McCandless would come and go out of peoples' lives, and spend much time alone, it wasn't that he didn't value other people or the time he spent with them. on the contrary, he valued his human interactions greatly, but he still felt the need to remain untethered emotionally and go off by himself (for various reasons). although my parental upbringing was a lot more loving than his, i can definitely identify with his need for solitude, and i imagine many others can as well.
it's hard to explain loners to non-loners, i guess. i love my friends as much as i'm sure McCandless loved his, but sometimes you just gotta get away from everyone and do your own thing. i think Sean Penn understands that, which (i would guess) is why he was attracted to the story, and why he took that point for granted and didn't really explain it.