Day Twenty-Six: Stranger Than Fiction

STRANGER THAN FICTION

Starring:
-Will Ferrel
-Maggie Gyllenhaal
-Dustin Hoffman
-Queen Latifah
-Emma Thompson

Directed by: Marc Forster

Written by: Zach Helm

MPAA Rating: PG-13 - some disturbing images, sexuality, brief language, and nudity


Those of you who tend to avoid the usual frat-boy antics of Will Ferrell spouting bathroom humor in his underpants, rejoice. Here is a Ferrell film you might actually enjoy.

Will stars as Harold Crick, a boring IRS auditor whose life is one big, endless routine. His latest case involves Ana Pascal, a tattooed bake shop owner who refuses to give Caesar what is Caesar's. Ana is an anti-establishment, down with the man, free love and cupcakes kinda gal, and she's determined to make "Tax Man" Harold miserable as he slogs through piles of her paperwork. Harold starts to hear an omniscient voice narrating his life and discovers that he is unable to communicate with it.

While waiting at the bus stop, Harold discovers that his watch has stopped. He asks the time of someone on the street, then resets his watch. The Voice says, "Little did he know that this simple, seemingly innocuous act would result in him imminent death."

Harold freaks and hurries to a psychiatrist, who incorrectly diagnoses him with schizophrenia. Harold asks the woman if she'll take schizophrenia off the table and suggest something else. She proposes that since he has a narrator, he should consult someone who knows about books. This brings Harold to university professor Jules Hilbert (Hoffman), who agrees that he sounds pretty crazy until he learns that the Harold last said "little did he know." According to Hilbert, this is a literary device used to demonstrate that there is something the character does not know. Hilbert encourages Harold to try and find out who the author of his story is, and whether or not he's living in a comedy or a tragedy.

Harold continues to go to the bake shop to sort through Ana's garbled files. Ana has warmed slightly, and brings him a plate of fresh-baked cookies. Harold insists that he cannot accept them, as they could be considered a bribe.

"I'll purchase them!" - Harold

This pisses Ana off and orders him to leave, which leads Harold to conclude that he is definitely living in a tragedy. Harold takes Hilbert's advice and tries to do nothing the next day. The idea of this exercise is to see whether or not a plot will find him, as a story cannot be told with characters who never do anything. Harold lounges on the couch watching television in his sweat pants when suddenly a huge wrecking ball comes crashing into his living room. Hilbert concludes that Harold is powerless in the situation and will certainly die, but he encourages him to make the most of what's left of his life.

Hilbert: Hell Harold, you could just eat nothing but pancakes if you wanted.
Harold: What is wrong with you? Hey, I don't want to eat nothing but pancakes, I want to live! I mean, who in their right mind in a choice between pancakes and living chooses pancakes?
Hilbert: Harold, if you pause to think, you'd realize that that answer is inextricably contingent upon the type of life being led... and, of course, the quality of the pancakes.

Harold grows closer to work buddy Dave, learns to play the guitar, and resolves Ana's tax issues by discovering that she gives away lots of food to those in need.

At last Harold discovers the name of his author, Karen Eiffel, a novelist who is infamous for always killing off the main character in her books. Harold goes through tax records to finds her address and hurries over to convince her that he is real. Karen has finally come up with an ending to her book and gives it to Harold to read, but he is too nervous and passes it to Hilbert instead. Hilbert concludes that this is Eiffel's greatest work, but its genius is largely due to Harold's death. Harold accepts this as his fate and spends one final night with Ana. The next morning....well, just watch it.


I love this movie because it's about realizing your mortality and doing something about it. No, you can't add days or hours, or even minutes to your lifespan, but you do have the ability to squeeze every last drop of life out of each day you have.

This is a brilliant, eloquent film that never ceases to inspire and amaze me. I seem to pick up on something new with each subsequent watching, which is high praise to first time screenwriter Zach Helms. There are lots of great moments in this one, but one of my favorites is when Harold goes to make up with Ana. Does he bring her flowers? Oh, no. He brings her flours. She's a baker, get it? I know. I laughed for a long time, too.


FINAL GRADE: A+

Awesome.

Off in search of a wristwatch,

M.