Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
It’s very hard to find a movie that the entire family enjoys, but Stranger Than Fiction hits the mark for us. We’ve seen it over a dozen times! The concept is original, the acting is wonderful, and Zach Helm’s wonderful script is bittersweet. If you haven’t rented this indie drama yet, get yourself a copy.
Will Ferrell is introduced to us with the lovely narration of Emma Thompson. She tells us he’s a precise man, a lonely man, and a man without real relationships in his life. He works for the IRS, so it’s not exactly unpredictable that he’s disliked by most people he meets, including his latest auditee Maggie Gyllenhaal – a rebellious small bakery owner. If this were the plot, it would be interesting enough, but there’s a little extra oomph to the story. Emma Thompson isn’t just the narrator of the movie; she’s narrating her latest novel. Will is a character she’s written!
So what’s a man to do when he starts hearing voices describing himself in the third person? Naturally, he’s scared and visits a psychiatrist. But when expert Linda Hunt tells him he’s suffering from schizophrenia, he seeks help elsewhere. He turns to Dustin Hoffman, a professor literature, to help him with the third-person narrator. All the while, he finds himself desperately attracted to Maggie but doesn’t know if he can jump easily into unchartered territory.
There’s so much to love about this movie, and I could talk for hours about why it’s one of my favorites. Will Ferrell shows hidden talents as a man discovering the joys of life for the first time. Maggie Gyllenhaal is fantastically earthy, rebellious without coming across as being riddled with problems. She’s generous, intelligent, interesting, and wildly sexy; it’s no wonder Will’s willing to come out of his shell for her. Emma Thompson, her publishing assistant Queen Latifah, and Dustin Hoffman seem to have a blast eating up their quirky characters and hilarious lines. If you haven’t seen this sweet, romantic, thoughtful, original comedy yet, buy yourself a DVD copy. I know you’ll love it and watch it over and over again with the whole family!
More Queen Latifah movies here!
Will Ferrell is introduced to us with the lovely narration of Emma Thompson. She tells us he’s a precise man, a lonely man, and a man without real relationships in his life. He works for the IRS, so it’s not exactly unpredictable that he’s disliked by most people he meets, including his latest auditee Maggie Gyllenhaal – a rebellious small bakery owner. If this were the plot, it would be interesting enough, but there’s a little extra oomph to the story. Emma Thompson isn’t just the narrator of the movie; she’s narrating her latest novel. Will is a character she’s written!
So what’s a man to do when he starts hearing voices describing himself in the third person? Naturally, he’s scared and visits a psychiatrist. But when expert Linda Hunt tells him he’s suffering from schizophrenia, he seeks help elsewhere. He turns to Dustin Hoffman, a professor literature, to help him with the third-person narrator. All the while, he finds himself desperately attracted to Maggie but doesn’t know if he can jump easily into unchartered territory.
There’s so much to love about this movie, and I could talk for hours about why it’s one of my favorites. Will Ferrell shows hidden talents as a man discovering the joys of life for the first time. Maggie Gyllenhaal is fantastically earthy, rebellious without coming across as being riddled with problems. She’s generous, intelligent, interesting, and wildly sexy; it’s no wonder Will’s willing to come out of his shell for her. Emma Thompson, her publishing assistant Queen Latifah, and Dustin Hoffman seem to have a blast eating up their quirky characters and hilarious lines. If you haven’t seen this sweet, romantic, thoughtful, original comedy yet, buy yourself a DVD copy. I know you’ll love it and watch it over and over again with the whole family!
More Queen Latifah movies here!