CNS Movie Review: Stranger Than Fiction

Stranger Than Fiction

By David DiCerto
Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Pondering God's infinite knowledge, the psalmist writes in Psalm 139, "Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written," a verse that seems particularly apropos when watching the delightfully quirky dramatic comedy "Stranger Than Fiction" (Columbia), in which Will Ferrell falls subject to a less lofty omniscience.

In what is one of the more original and entertaining films of the year, Ferrell is Harold Crick, a lonely and neurotically obsessive IRS auditor who wakes one morning to find his life being narrated by a seemingly omniscient voice only he can hear.

When psychiatrists respond with incredulity, Harold, confident he's not crazy, seeks the help of a professor of literary theory, Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman), reasoning who better to ask about narration?

It turns out that the ever-present voice belongs to a famous reclusive author, Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson) who's holed up, working on her long-awaited new novel in which the protagonist is, coincidentally, also named Harold Crick. With Harold's life mirrored in her manuscript (or is it the other way around?), everything that happens to the fictional Harold, down to the smallest detail, happens to the real one.

This doesn't bode well for Harold as Jules informs him that the main characters in Kay's books always die in the end. Luckily, Kay is mired in writer's block and can't figure out how to kill off her imaginary Harold, leaving the question open as to how the story will ultimately play out. Comedy or tragedy?

Imbuing Harold with man-child innocence, Ferrell impresses, reining in his usual mania for a more muted and melancholy performance, reminiscent of Jim Carrey's toned-down turn in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." In fact, Zach Helm's intelligent screenplay has a very Charlie Kaufmanesque feel. (There is some inconsistency about whether Kay is just commenting on Harold's life or exerts control over it.)

Solid support is provided by Maggie Gyllenhaal as Ana, an opinionated baker who is audited by Harold and who provides some sweet romance, eventually drawing him out of his introversion, and Queen Latifah as Penny, an "author's assistant" hired by Kay's impatient publisher to light a fire under the scribe.

As is unfortunately the case with most movies today, Harold and Ana wind up sleeping together, but apart from that one discreet bedroom scene (they're lying under the covers -- no nudity, just snuggling) and a few four-letter words, there's nothing really objectionable in the film.

By turns sentimental, funny and, in the end, modestly profound, director Marc Forster's existential farce touches on issues of fate and free will (you could even call it a Calvinistic comedy) and imparts a wonderful message that the little moments -- the smiles, hugs and small acts of kindness -- we often relegate to footnote status in the narrative of our daily living are what give life its meaning.

The film contains an implied sexual encounter, brief locker-room rear nudity, a jarring traffic accident and one use of the f-word, as well as a couple of crude expressions and an instance of profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.

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Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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