A So-Called Real Life
Ferrell Makes Fiction Funny

It is rare to see a character in a book, play, or movie recognize that they are not real. It's often played for a laugh, when the character looks at the camera and talks directly to the audience. Bob Hope used to do it in his road pictures with Bing Crosby. In a classic Warner Bros. cartoon, Daffy Duck argued with the artist drawing him. In literary terms, this is called metafiction: when an author writes about writing or the devices of fiction. The line between fiction and reality is erased in the new film, Stranger than Fiction, when a dull IRS agent discovers that his life is being narrated as if he were a character in a novel.

Stranger Than Fiction
Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is finding his reality to be a bit more fictional than he thought in the comedy/drama Stranger Than Fiction. (Sony, 2006)
Directed by: Marc Forster
Written by: Zach Helm
Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah, and Dustin Hoffman

Rated PG-13 (for some disturbing images, sexuality, brief language and nudity)
Running time: 113 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 9 out of 10.

For Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), his routine life is neither satisfying or unsatisfying. He exists in a spartan apartment, works for the IRS, and is at odds with a bakery owner (Maggie Gyllenhaal) whom he is auditing. For Harold, life is merely a logical progression from beginning to end -- like the numbers that inhabit his universe.

When he begins hearing a voice narrate his life, the situation is disturbing and yet oddly compelling. The funny thing is, he doesn't think he's crazy. As he points out, the voice doesn't seem to be his own. It's a female, and she has a better vocabulary. He feels as if he is a mere character in a story.

When he seeks assistance from a literary teacher (Dustin Hoffman), he discovers the terrible truth: if his life is a work of fiction it can only end one of two ways. If it's a comedy, he will likely fall in love. If it's a tragedy, he will die. Harold begins a quest to discover who is narrating him before he meets with his "imminent death" of which the voice has warned him.

The beauty of Stranger than Fiction lies in the excellent writing of a fresh and intelligent concept. The use of an omniscient narrator is nothing new, but it is funny to watch the character react to the narration. If that alone had been the joke of the story, however, it would not be enough to warrant a full movie. Instead, director Marc Forster takes audiences through a story of free will, destiny, and the choices we make in creating our own lives.

The acting here is -- in a word -- marvelous. Emma Thompson excels as the reclusive writer Kay Eiffel. She is disassociated with the real world, living out the fantasy of her novel as she tries to complete it. Her haggard and manic expressions are fitting, and Thompson's mannerisms seem true to Eiffel's nature. As her personal assistant Penny, Queen Latifah gets to play a dramatic role. Her professional and stern demeanor are a counterpoint to Eiffel's artistic temperament.

Ferrell is wonderful in a role that allows him to be funny without being over the top. His dry wit is almost a surprise, and he plays the befuddled romantic very well. As a budding love interest, Ana, Gyllenhaal is both innocent and seductive. She has a disarming charisma about her. Hoffman, as the literary professor Jules Hilbert, is a delight. His stoic charm is perfectly cast here.

While Stranger than Fiction is a comedy, it is not a typical Will Ferrell comedy. Don't expect low-brow jokes or huge laughs. The comedy is dry, intelligent, and much more subtle. However, the film is not merely a comedy. It walks a tightrope between comedy and drama, and does it with aplomb. The film pulls audiences in, running the gamut of emotions. Tears flow as easily as laughs, all the while making us think about the beauty of life, love, and the written word.