Reese Witherspoon is often associated with her memorable roles as the female lead in romantic comedies, such as 'Sweet Home Alabama' and 'Legally Blonde.' But this holiday season, moviegoers will see a new side of Witherspoon in the drama 'Wild.'

'Wild' is based on the true memoir by Cheryl Strayed, which was published in 2012 and hit No. 1 on New York Times' Best Sellers list. The book also received the distinction of being the first book selected for Oprah's Book Club 2.0.

The book and movie tell of Strayed's journey as she hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail, which begins at the California-Mexico border, continues into California, Oregon and Washington states before ending at the Canadian border. Strayed had become distraught after the death of her mother at the age of 22 and subsequently became distant from her family. After her divorce from her husband and battling a heroin addiction at 26, she decided to set out on the 1,000+ mile walk without any prior hiking or backpacking experience. Her memoir chronicles the journey, both physical and spiritual, along the way.

'Wild' is helmed by 'Dallas Buyers Club' director Jean-Marc Vallée. The movie is slated to be released on Dec. 5.

Click on the trailer above to watch a preview of 'Wild.'

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