'Stranger than Fiction' a Good Dose of Comedy and Tragedy

Rating: 7/10 (15 November 2006)

'Stranger than Fiction' tells the story of Harold Crick, a dull and unimaginative man whose life seems to be stuck in pause. His days are spent adhering to an uncompromising routine: he wakes up, brushes his teeth, goes to work, comes home, eats alone, and goes to bed. Everything is perfectly timed down to the minute by his wristwatch. Spontaneity is simply not an option, and not surprisingly, Harold has no real friends. To make matters worse, Harold is an IRS agent. When he does go out to meet new people, it's usually to audit someone for tax fraud.
The film opens with a series of shots showing us Harold's daily routine. Almost immediately we hear the voice of a narrator telling us the details of Harold's boring life. The narrator is not Harold, but rather an unidentified female voice. Here's the catch though: one day, Harold begins hearing the voice that's narrating his life story. Since nobody else seems to hear it, Harold believes he's going crazy and seeks professional help. In a very short time, Harold's life will be turned upside down.
Emma Thompson plays Kay Eiffel, a well known author in the midst of writing a new novel. She also happens to be the voice of the narrator! Unknown to Miss Eiffel is the fact that Harold Crick, the protagonist of the novel she's writing, is actually a real person. Reality and fantasy collide throughout the movie as we see how whatever is written in the story becomes true. As the story is being written, Harold can hear every word that is typed and knows his fate before it comes.
Will Ferrell, who plays Harold Crick, gives an unusually understated and subtle performance for a comedic actor. His performance is reminiscent of the kind of minimalism that we usually expect from the likes of Bill Murray. By not overacting, Ferrell gives the movie weight and depth and manages to make a mundane character worthy of audience sympathy.
'Stranger than Fiction' is ultimately a movie about fate and control. That's one of the problems I had with it. On the one hand, Harold Crick learns his fate from the narrator and tries to change his ways. He falls in love with Ana Pascal, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, and tries to learn to play the guitar. All of this is an attempt to truly live life as it is meant to be lived. On the other hand, Harold's life is being dictated by someone else. So doesn't that mean that Harold has no free will? The movie tries to have it both ways and it doesn't really work. It's hard to cheer for a character whose life is being completely controlled by someone else. Even when Harold does try to change his ways and escape fate, he remains a passive character.
The ending, which I will not reveal, is both unsatisfying and disappointing. It's a bit of a cop-out and an appeal to Hollywood sentimentalism. Also, some of the supporting roles are wasted opportunities. Dustin Hoffman, who plays a college professor helping Harold Crick, is given little to do. Queen Latifah, who plays Miss Eiffel's secretary, is given even less to do. I'm still going to recommend the movie, however, because it's always well intentioned. I think it's one of those movies that might have looked better on paper than on film. I'll definitely give it credit for being original.