Daydream Believer

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Sometimes in Hollywood there is a film that is produced that provides its audience with a sense of hope and good feeling. In 1946, Jimmy Stewart showed us that everyone is important in one way or another with It’s A Wonderful Life. Most recently Will Smith proved to the world that with a little dedication and love for your children, you can make something out of nothing in The Pursuit of Happiness. In 2013, I would like to think that The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was the feel good film of the year.

Walter Mitty is a lonely daydreamer who works at Life magazine as a negatives assets manager (basically he asses the best photographs). His life is a bit boring, except in his own head. That all changes when Walter is sent a roll of film from Sean O’Connell, a world renowned photographer, with a negative missing. With Life going out of business and the magazine wanting the missing picture for its final cover photo, Walter must find the courage to come out of his head and plunge into reality to bring the world the ‘quintessence’ of Life.

Let me start off saying that if you thought this was going to be like all of Ben Stiller’s other movies, then you are going to be thrown for a loop. My opinion of his movies is pretty negative, mainly because I don’t really find him funny. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this film because it is nothing like his other movies. It has its funny moments, but this film is more about finding the will to come out of your box. 

Stiller does a great job of capturing Mitty. Throughout the film, Stiller slowly transforms the character from the shy daydreamer to the confidant ‘adrenaline junkie’.  But the place that I have a new found respect for Stiller is behind the camera. This is a beautifully shot film, from New York to Iceland. When Mitty is in his normal life, the feeling of the film becomes cramped and almost lonely. Then Mitty goes out in the world and the shots become much more wide and far off to show the world around Mitty. It was almost like Stiller was taking actually photographs from Time or Life and making them into a movie.

Can’t really comment on Stiller’s supporting cast because they are barely in the film, though Adam Scott does play a fairly good douchebag. Other than him, the supporting cast is decent but not overly amazing.

I really think that this film was marketed wrong, due to the trailers and trying to make this like all his other movies. If you are looking for Zoolander, you are going to be disappointed. Though if you would like to watch a movie that is inspiring and entertaining, then this is the film for you.

Verdict: Worth Your Time.