Lizard68591Stranger Than Fiction - 1 Clock
November 14th 2006 18:06
Which came first, the author or the character??? The obvious answer is the author – after all the character is a mere figment of the author’s imagination. But what if he isn’t??? What if he is a methodical IRS agent so obsessed with control that he has reduced his entire life to a system of numbers??? Well then you would have Harold Crick [Will Ferrell], the main character in author, Kay Eiffel’s [Emma Thompson] latest novel, and unfortunately for Harold, all of Ms. Eiffel’s main characters die. But Harold isn’t like any of those previous characters because with every strike of the keyboard, Harold can hear Ms. Eiffel’s voice inside his head as she details his daily routine. And it soon becomes clear that his life is dependant on the prolonged writer’s block of this morbid author.
So how do you stop your “imminent death” when your killer is a voice inside your head??? True to form, Harold starts with the only logical solution – He goes to see a psychologist. But when her only suggestion is that he must be suffering from schizophrenia, Harold finds himself seeking guidance from Professor Jules Hilbert [Dustin Hoffman]. According to Professor Hilbert, a professor of literature and Harold’s only confidant, the answer lies in determining the genre of Harold’s story. His advice - “If it is a tragedy you die, and if it is a comedy you get hitched.” And so begins a beautiful journey of self-discovery that forces Harold outside of his world of facts and figures and into a life worth fighting for.
With a cast that includes such icons as Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, I approached Stranger Than Fiction with high hopes. I expected nothing short of their spectacular performances in Rain Main and Nanny McPhee and while both were certainly exceptional in their respective roles, it was Will Ferrell that really delivered. A good actor can make you know what they are feeling in the moment. A great actor can make you feel it right along with them. It’s the difference between sympathy and empathy and Will Ferrell nailed it. He became Harold Crick and forced his audience to see the Harold Crick within themselves.
Stranger Than Fiction tells the story of what happens when a man who plans out every mundane detail of his life learns that his fate lies in the hands of another. Harold thought he was in complete control of his life. But the reality was that Harold was a man controlled by his fears. And it wasn’t until he faced those fears and accepted that with life comes uncertainty, that he actually regained control over his fate and began to live.
So how do you stop your “imminent death” when your killer is a voice inside your head??? True to form, Harold starts with the only logical solution – He goes to see a psychologist. But when her only suggestion is that he must be suffering from schizophrenia, Harold finds himself seeking guidance from Professor Jules Hilbert [Dustin Hoffman]. According to Professor Hilbert, a professor of literature and Harold’s only confidant, the answer lies in determining the genre of Harold’s story. His advice - “If it is a tragedy you die, and if it is a comedy you get hitched.” And so begins a beautiful journey of self-discovery that forces Harold outside of his world of facts and figures and into a life worth fighting for.
With a cast that includes such icons as Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, I approached Stranger Than Fiction with high hopes. I expected nothing short of their spectacular performances in Rain Main and Nanny McPhee and while both were certainly exceptional in their respective roles, it was Will Ferrell that really delivered. A good actor can make you know what they are feeling in the moment. A great actor can make you feel it right along with them. It’s the difference between sympathy and empathy and Will Ferrell nailed it. He became Harold Crick and forced his audience to see the Harold Crick within themselves.
Stranger Than Fiction tells the story of what happens when a man who plans out every mundane detail of his life learns that his fate lies in the hands of another. Harold thought he was in complete control of his life. But the reality was that Harold was a man controlled by his fears. And it wasn’t until he faced those fears and accepted that with life comes uncertainty, that he actually regained control over his fate and began to live.
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Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I like your idea of using clocks as a guide of how good/worthwhile a film is by the amount of times you look at your watch. I also use that as a guide and talked about it on my post about Brick.
Tracy
Comment by Lizard68591
The Blog Formerly Known As Saturday Morning Movie Club
REALLY!!! I have to admit I am a bit disappointed that I'm not as original as I once believed myself to be but I'm thrilled that you appreciate the rating system. I took some heat for it when I first starting doing my reviews so I love to hear that people are enjoying it.
Thanks for the comment!
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life