March 10, 2008 issue

Our top picks for the week  

Rent “Into the Wild,” Sean Penn’s vital, lyrical, unsettling adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction book about a young man who gives up his worldly possessions for a solitary cross-country odyssey. Penn’s eye for landscapes is stunning, and his affection for outsider life is tangible.

Buy My Money Matters kit. Get financially fit with this box full of tips and tools. Daily affirmations, workbooks and journals are a few of the clever user-friendly parts of this kit to help you save, set goals and spend wisely ($24.95; mymoneykit.com).

Hear “Another Country,” by Tift Merritt. Sometimes being down and out is the best thing to get you up and on. After tirelessly touring, then getting dropped by her label, Merritt comes back swinging in this album of sweet and delicate songs, with a substance that makes them prettier still ($14).

Go to Reykjavik, Iceland. Icelandair (icelandair.com) is offering round trips from Boston and Minneapolis starting at $398 for travel through May 14. Book by March 7, then hit the thermal pools.

Volunteer for the 2008 Great American Cleanup taking place from March 4 to May 31 throughout the country. Log on to kab.org to find out where to pick up litter, plant trees or collect recycling in your area.