The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
{4/5} “Some of you are non-vital.”
Walter Mitty works at Life magazine in the negative asset department (as in, film negatives). Life is ceasing to print and going online. Walter has received a set of negatives from a brilliant photographer — one of them is supposed to be the cover for the final issue. But that one negative is missing. Walter sets out to find it, while avoiding the new boss, and attempting to connect with his co-worker Cheryl whom he’s interested in. On a regular basis Walter zones out and daydreams about a more adventurous life.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, released in 2013
I liked it, but it didn’t grab me quite as much as I wanted it to.
The transition in Walter’s character from someone who daydreams about adventures to someone who lives adventures was a bit abrupt.
There’s some beautiful scenery from Iceland.
Here’s the motto of Life magazine, at least according to the movie: “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life.”
The inspiring music is by Theodore Shapiro (The Devil Wears Prada).
Ben Stiller (Zero Effect) plays Walter and Kristen Wiig (Despicable Me 2) plays Cheryl. Adam Scott (the TV show Parks and Recreation) plays their new boss and Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille) plays an eHarmony representative. Shirley MacLaine (Being There) plays Walter’s mom and Sean Penn (Mystic River) plays the photographer that Walter’s looking for.
The movie was directed by Ben Stiller (Reality Bites).