Stranger Than Fiction

If you are looking for empty entertainment, there is no doubt that the numerous moments of comedy and romance in Stranger Than Fiction will keep your simple mind occupied. However, this movie also holds a lot for those wanting to explore on a deeper level, particularly if you are interested in questions around existentialism and humanism. From this perspective, the movie opens up questions about the meaning of life, free will, and the inevitability of 'death and taxes.'
Reprising his role as the smart man with all the right answers ala I Heart Huckabees, Dustin Hoffman goes one step further to become somewhat of a god to the character of Harold Crick (played by Will Farrell) and holds Crick's fate, quite literally, in his hands. The same is true of Emma Thompson, playing the writer who narrates the boring constancy of Crick's life. Both of these characters come to know and determine Crick's fate, holding power that many of us can only dream of. These answers are also available to Crick, who makes an active choice to leave it be, but makes other choices in between to enrich and enhance his life. This movie painted a simultaneously dreary and uplifting picture of life: While we are all faced with the eventual doom of death, we can make choices within our daily lives that may not necessarily impact our downfall, but will influence the quality of our time in between. Thus, the question becomes: What choices will you make?
Overall, even Will Farrell as a serious character, Queen Latifah being outacted by a squirrel, and Dustin Hoffman jiggling as he jumped into a swimming pool could not ruin this fascinating romp through a life, though seemingly mundane, yet positively worth living.
-BitchlyBitchly