Set in the period of the Civil War. This is the story of a woman trying to survive on the frontier, and a man trying to survive the journey back to her. Jude Law plays a man drafted to fight in the Confederate Army. He is wounded, and determines that deserting is his only chance to escape the war with his life. He must travel through the wilderness over hundreds of miles to return to his home, and avoiding Confederate patrols. Nicole Kidman stars as a woman from the city who moves to the frontier with her father, but is left alone after he dies. She must learn how to survive on the land left to her.

This movie will make you happy that you have electricity, running water, and fast food. Life on the frontier is wild, and brutal, and tough. This movie is about determination and grit. It is also about two people driven by their love to survive long enough to see each other again. This is one of the few movies that I would consider “even better than the book”. It is an epic story… it is kind of long though, so be warned. Definitely DO IT!

bonus: Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) plays the ugliest, gnarliest bad guy you have ever seen.