The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Certified: PG
Duration: 114 minutes
Directed by: Ben Stiller
Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Sean Penn, Patton Oswalt
KRS release
The life of Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) has been decidedly uneventful. He is now in his early 40s and has not accomplished anything in life. He works at Life Magazine in New York where he handles negatives of the photos captured by iconic photographer Sean O’Donnell (Sean Penn). In his free time, he helps his sister Odessa (Kathryn Hahn) with his mother (Shirley MacLaine).
However, his quiet life is about to turn upside down when the magazine is acquired by Ted (Adam Scott), a businessman who has no interest in the magazine itself but only in cash. This leads to a shift in strategy and the company goes digital. This will mean cuts in personnel and no one is safe. Walter is most at risk as he is continuously daydreaming.
Todd (Patton Oswalt), who works with a dating website, tries to help him get the attention of Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) who has just been employed at Life. She has just been through a divorce and Walter ends up asking for her help when an important negative of Sean is lost. This soon leads to the start of a wonderful voyage for Walter.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is the second adaptation of the 1939 short story by James Thurber – the 1947 version had starred Danny Kaye.
This charming and sweet film is directed in the Frank Capra mode. I never thought that Stiller could both direct and act with such a charming sleight of hand.
The journey undertaken by Mitty is interesting on many levels but, most of all, it is boosted by the people he meets along the way. It is doubly interesting to see how both he and these characters are changed throughout the film. As Walter’s trip becomes a globetrotting exercise, each new experience gains new significance.
Stiller is perfect for this role, as slowly but surely, he makes it his own. The surprise here is the assuredness he shows as a director. Wiig delivers a Cheryl worthy of Walter’s whimsy. The two share a pleasing finale that is enough to warm you up even though the weather outside the cinema will be so cold. Stiller accompanies the story with amazing visuals as the flights of fancy take on new wings. The sequences are really eye-catching and provide both a visual and emotional tapestry. This film is both a comedy and an epic of the human heart.
In a way, Stiller’s feat is similar to what Jim Carrey had achieved in The Truman Show (1998). His Mitty is a common man who embodies all the insecurities we all have. The way he suddenly decides to live and become a changed and free man gives one pause for thought.
The tightrope between humour and emotional drama is walked finely and succeeds on many counts. The message that we must be participants of our life instead of merely being spectators in it is well delivered.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ends up being that rare film that actually has something to say and tells it pleasingly and in an original way. It is ironic that it also stars Penn who had directed the brilliant Into the Wild (2007). The latter’s theme was also about finding oneself but it did this in a very downbeat and poignant manner. This film is the direct opposite but the message reads true and loud.
It was the perfect film for me to end and start the year with faith and confidence.