Movie Review: “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty”
Published at
Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage(NEW YORK) — Ben Stiller stars in and directs The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, which is very loosely based on James Thurber’s short story of the same name, and not really based on Danny Kaye’s classic film adaptation of that story.
Stiller plays the title character, the man in charge of the photo archive at Life magazine. Walter’s entire existence is bland and quite painful to watch. He clearly wants more, but lacks the fortitude or the wherewithal to obtain what it is he desires. So instead, he daydreams.
Here’s how bad things are for Walter: he actually calls a customer service rep for eHarmony to complain that he can’t “wink” at a woman on the service. The woman is Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig), one of his co-workers. In other words, he pays a subscription fee to an internet dating service just so he can “wink” at somebody he sees at the office every day. He can’t just can’t walk up to her and say hello: that’s how paralyzed he is.
But Walter’s life is about to get turned upside down, when it appears as though he’s misplaced the negative for a photo destined for the cover of the very last issue of Life. Will he just continue to sit there and daydream, or will he finally engage with reality and, literally, chase that negative around the world? The answer, of course, is the latter.
As the director, Stiller imbues Mitty with a quirky and sensitive tone, resulting in a funny and profound film. As Mitty, Stiller is stellar as the everyman in all of us, who strives for something more, but who allows his past to prevent him from having an ideal future. In their supporting roles, Sean Penn, Adam Scott and Wiig help add significant depth and humor. The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty is a beautifully-told cinematic tale that is hardly perfect, but is perfect for the holiday season.
Four out of five Stars.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio