On what grounds? That both leads are at least 30 years too old for their roles since Bryson and his estranged reprobate pal, Stephen Katz, are 44 in the book. The feminist in me initially planned to bash “A Walk in the Woods,“ directed in typical middle-of-the-road fashion by Ken Kwapis (“He’s Just Not That Into You”) with an unfortunate insistence on telegraphing almost every laugh. But the ever-volatile and gravel-voiced Nolte and the perennially cool and smooth-talking Redford manage just fine as a bracing pair of fellow travelers. A reunion with his sparring partner in “ Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “ The Sting,” halted by Newman’s death in 2008, would have been a must-see event. 2.Redford, who is also a producer, initially planned on reteaming with buddy Paul Newman a decade or so ago when he began to piece together this project based on Bill Bryson’s humor-filled 1998 account of his misadventures while hiking the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail. 'A Walk in the Woods' is rated 'R.' It opens on Sept. 'It was an under-served audience, the older people, and that this was the perfect project for older people to get back into the theater.

'But I felt that this was serving an audience that wasn't being served,' he said.

In this age of so many movies aimed at teenagers and young adults, Redford is proud that this project sees beyond that. He plays a friend from the past who agrees to join Redford's character on the hike. So he was the one that said, 'I think it'd be too much to get out here and do this.' So the moment that happened, it went right to Nick,' Redford said. 'By the time this thing came about, the age difference was a factor - 14 years between Paul and I - and also the fact that his physical health was in decline. Together, they'd had big hits, first with 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' in 1969, and then 'The Sting' four years later. Originally, Redford wanted to make 'A Walk in the Woods' with his good friend Paul Newman. 'It was a passion that I had to see this story brought to the screen, I thought, would be a wonderful thing,' he said. LOS ANGELES (KABC) - The new movie 'A Walk in the Woods' is based on the true story of travel writer Bill Bryson, who decided he wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail - all 2,200 miles of it.Īctor and producer Robert Redford has wanted to make this story a movie for a long time. Robert Redford hits the trail with Nick Nolte in the new film 'A Walk in the Woods.'

A walk in the woods book