Say hello to Reese Witherspoon like you've never seen her before. The actress plays Cheryl Strayed in Jean-Marc Vallée's critically acclaimed drama Wild, based on the true story of a woman who left her troubled past behind to conquer the daunting Pacific Crest Trail, a 2600 mile stretch of some of the most treacherous (and scenic) terrain in the country. Though Witherspoon didn't actually hike the route herself, she did call Wild "The hardest movie I’ve ever made in my life." One look at the riveting first trailer, and you'll see why.
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Witherspoon's performance earned unanimous raves when the film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival this past September, making her the prohibitive frontrunner to take home Best Actress Oscar come February. This is exactly the kind of transformative performance the Academy drools over; The usually glamorous Witherspoon tackles a rough-and-tumble character and appears noticeably makeup-free for the majority of the film.
In this exclusive clip, we see her character chatting with some fellow hikers over a morning cup of joe. Enjoy your downtime Reese, you've earned it.
Wild hits theaters on December 5.