'Wild' Director Jean-Marc Vallée Breaks Down His Film’s Wildest Scene

Wild won’t be mistaken for Wedding Crashers any time soon, but there’s a fair amount of levity in this drama about a real-life woman named Cheryl Strayed (played by Reese Witherspoon) who escaped heartache, depression, and addiction by setting off on a 1,100-mile hike along the daunting Pacific Crest Trail. 

Director Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club) points to one scene in particular that he finds most amusing in thelatest installment of the New York Times “Anatomy of a Scene” series. It involves a sequence where Cheryl is hitchhiking and a potential ride supplier named Jimmy Carter (Mo McRae) suggests — no, insists — that she’s a hobo. Watch the full clip, which includes Vallée’s narration, above.

Wild is now in theaters.