The movies are to make money. I do not think anyone gives a "xx" about accuracy or depicting actual backpacking. The "wilderness" is just the backdrop.

It is similar to the now trendy "extreme sports". The participants are simply engaging in an athletic activity with the wilderness as a backdrop. A few weeks ago while backpacking a fellow passed me the opposite direction- he was running the JMT and only had on skimpy little running shorts and one small water bottle/belt. That was it! He was redder than a beet! Another backpacker behind me chuckled, and said "that is taking UL to the extreme". At times like this I would love to see the skies open up, thunder and lightning, hail and buckets of rain.