Stranger Than Fiction

Directed by Marc Forster
Written by Zach Helm  

Cast: Will Ferrel, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson

"And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true.” -Kay Eiffel 

Will Ferrel is Harold Crick, a taxman who lives his carefully calculated life in accordance to the routine dictates of his wristwatch. Emma Thompson is Kay Eiffel, a famous novelist who relies on cigarettes and infirmaries to inspire her writing. She is famous in fact, for cleverly killing off her heros. It’s the only path to a true masterpiece: “The hero dies, and the story goes on forever.” So when Harold Crick discovers that he is the main character of Eiffel’s newest novel, he begins to fear the inevitable. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast as the very un-calculated Ana Pascal, who forces Harold to eat cookies and dream bigger. Dustin Hoffman is the well-read and logical professor Jules Hilbert, who among other things, convinces Harold that he is not a golem.

Ferrel and Thompson carry  the story with a confident whimsy that is both delightful and sincere. It is a funny movie, but it is by no means light. In keeping with Eiffel’s sardonically witty narration, director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Quantum of Solace) has created a film that feels like a novel. Every glance is believable, every word drenched in wisdom. Stranger Than Fiction is about waking up to the big things in life, such as self-sacrifice, and finding joy in the little things like Bavarian sugar cookies. 

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