The Milwaukee Post

By Tom Jozwik TimeOut Film Critic Robert Redford's latest movie, "A Walk in the Woods," has been done before, more or less, and done better. The previous rendition occurred last year, a drama with Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern instead of a comedy starring the less impressive duo of Redford and Nick Nolte. Witherspoon's character in "Wild" travels the Pacific Crest Trail, while Redford's Bill Bryson and Nolte's Stephen Katz hike and camp along the Appalachian Trail. Both cinematic stories are reality-based, but "A Walk" seems less real. For one thing, author Bryson is considerably younger than the almost 80-year-old who portrays him (and a good deal younger than Redford's 74- year-old sidekick, for that matter). Hardly hilarious, "A Walk" does include some funny lines. It should; it's a comedy, after all. "A Walk" also includes some crude language, uttered mostly by Nolte's Katz. The dirty old character remarks, "I spent half my life getting drunk and chasing women" (although he doesn't actually say "women"), adding, "The other half, I wast- ed." Katz subsequently spells out his requirements for a girlfriend: "a heartbeat and a full set of limbs." Redford's Bryson too often sounds like a lecturing professor, spouting statistics like 2,118 miles — the length of the trail he and Katz, despite the latter's precarious health suggested by an occasionally redder-than- any-beet face, will attempt to negotiate. Katz shares a few figures himself, pointing out that their journey could encompass "five months and 5 million steps." The long walk is Bryson's idea, although he can never quite explain what spawned it. Bryson's wife (an underused Emma Thompson) says "I hate this" with regard to the idea. "Try not to die," she tells hubby, insisting he find somebody to accompany him. Free spirit Katz, a long-lost pal who's owed Bryson $600 for 40 years, resurfaces as the only person willing to do so. (Invited on his answering machine to join Bryson, one prospective hiking partner had refused by telling the author to "call me for something fun — like a colonoscopy.") Once Bryson and Katz have hit the road, the not particularly grumpy, but definitely old, men encounter a surprising snowstorm, a couple of grizzly bears, some dreadful overnight accommodations and — perhaps worst of all — a hiker named Mary Ellen (Kristen Schaal) who gives new meaning to the word "obnoxious." Unmarried Katz becomes sweet on a mammoth, flirtatious female (Susan McPhail) and then must deal with her equally mammoth, jealous hus- band; the happily wed Bryson meets a charming woman (Mary Steenburgen, also underused) who'd apparently like to be more than his hotelier. In a couple of needless scenes, dementia and drunk driving are played for laughs. Viewers see some arresting cinematogra- phy (John Bailey): mountains, waterfalls, a sky illuminated with countless stars. Do moviegoers also see "A Walk's" two stars managing to hoof the entire Georgia-to- Maine trail? You'll find no spoiler here. But I can say the flick, flawed though it may be, is more enjoyable than a colonoscopy. 14 • Milwaukee County Post • September 11, 2015 ENTERTAINMENT Maybe 'Walk' should take a well-deserved hike At a glance "A Week in the Woods" ★★1/2 Starring: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Kristen Schaal Director: Ken Kwapis MPAA rating: R Running time: 104 minutes Showings: www.marcustheatres.com EPK.TV In a scene from "A Walk in the Woods," Stephen Katz (Nick Nolte, left) and Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) take time out from hiking the Appalachian Trail to examine at map of it. It's just not that funny, which doesn't bode well for a comedy Church Directory To advertise in this section, contact Julia at 414-744-6370 ext. 17 Milwaukee Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church 2015 E. Fernwood Ave. 414-744-2170 Pastor Curtis Golm 262-308-2911 Sunday Worship Time: 9:30am Bible Class: 10:45am Preschool hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9:00-11:45am www.messiahlutheranchurchandpreschool.com - PAID ADVERTISEMENT - BANK ACCOUNT ISSUES A problem I would like to revisit due to the seriousness of the issue, is going to your bank to name one of your children or a trusted friend as having power to help you pay bills. In my experience, if you go to the bank with one of your children, with the intent of having that child help you with a bank account, you will most likely walk out of the bank having made that child a joint owner of the account. While many individuals may need help with their financial affairs as they age, joint ownership is not what most individuals intend. The proper way to give someone authority to help you with a bank account or other asset is to name them as your agent under a power of attorney. The best power of attorney is a general durable power of attorney, usually done by a lawyer. It will cover all of your financial affairs and not a single bank account. Most banks will automatically make your child or trusted friend a joint owner of a bank account, rather than an agent under power of attorney. Bank clerks are not lawyers and will not take the time to explain the difference between joint ownership and agency under a power of attorney. Furthermore, in my opinion, banks seem to prefer joint ownership rather then agency under power of attorney, for liability reasons. I had a situation a number of years ago where mom wanted her daughter to help her with her financial affairs. The bank put the daughter on the account as a joint owner, rather then as an agent under power of attorney. Someone who has agency under a power of attorney has no ownership rights, but only access to a bank account for purposes of helping another individual. A joint owner has an ownership interest in the account. In this example, the daughter's husband got into financial trouble and creditors latched onto the bank account that mom had put her daughter on as a joint owner. A substantial amount of money was lost by mom. All of this could have been avoided if daughter had been put on the account simply as an agent under power of attorney. Under such circumstances, mom would have maintained complete and sole ownership, with her daughter only having access to the account to help mom with her affairs. In summary, if you want to give an individual authority to help you with your affairs, while maintaining sole ownership, the proper way to do it is with a power of attorney. Recognize that banks and other institutions do not like powers of attorney. 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