Film: Wild (2014), Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Based on the book of Cheryl Strayed

Watching this film, one can't help comparing it to other films based on the metaphor of the road or endurance  or self-discovery - films like "On the Road" or "Into the Wild" and going further back - "Easy Rider" or even -- "The Odyssey." The comparison is not in favor of "Wild." It relays a very personal story, as opposed to generational, unlike the above-mentioned films. And being so personal, or individual, it does not possess the intellectual baggage to turn this story of ordeal into a more meaningful one. If it wasn't for the final monologue of the character which injected some meaning and some element of self-analysis, the film would have remained a mix of painful memories recalled against the backdrop of some beautiful natural vistas or somewhat threatening landscapes. If it wasn't for the sentimental scene with the little boy and grandma with the lama it would have left the viewer unperturbed by Cheryl's earlier misfortunes.
And "Election" is still Reese Witherspoon's best film.

Books: Nine Inches. Short Stories by Tom Perrotta

Perrotta knows his suburbs. The stories in this collection sound like studies for a TV series - and he is making one based on another of his books "Leftovers". He has found his genre and this is not a condescending statement. BTW, Election, based on Perrotta's novel is one of Alexander Payne's best films.
Suburban life according to Perrotta is deeply disappointing. His characters are under-performers who struggle to regain their life after a single faux pas; their stories - light versions of "after the Fall"...His male characters are infantile, his female characters -- bitches with hearts of gold.
The book jacket quotes a critic's definition of Perrotta as the "Suburban Steinbeck". This is an oxymoron! He is nothing like Steinbeck and neither is he a Chekhov - lacks Chekhov's contempt for human pettiness...