Read the book years ago, and just watched the movie (about McCandless, not 4X4). Good flick and book, but the big word in my head watching it was 'IDEALISTIC'. I know several people similar to this that are looking for meaning, and think they have these deep and profound thoughts that everyone else is missing out on. Newsflash--many of us have similar thoughts, but don't need to reject family and society to find a sense of balance and understanding. His thoughts weren't unique, his behaviour was really the only thing exceptional. And I don't mean that in a compimentary way.
It's like when you meet people that do some travelling, and suddenly feel that they've got this brilliant understanding of things, people, society, whatever, that they didn't have before, and that people that haven't travelled 'just don't understand'. Lots of people don't need to live in Africa to 'get it'--my thoughts didn't really change after I spent time in various parts of the world, I could relate more with first hand experience, but it didn't give me a higher level of worldly insight. It didn't make my thoughts 'special'.
Anyway, good movie, but a highly idealistic kid that learned his lessons too late. Sad for him, sad for his family, but I will commend him for going out and doing what he thought he needed to do.
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