# Lars and the Real Girl

Lars and the Real Girl is a 2007 about a shy, lonely young man who develops a relationship with a life-sized, anatomically correct doll he orders online.
    Directed by Craig Gillespie. Written by Nancy Oliver.

## Lars

* [to Bianca, after she is given flowers] Those are nice, huh? And they're not real, so they'll last forever.

## Dagmar

* Sometimes I get so lonely I forget what day it is, and how to spell my name.

## Other

* Reverend Bock: Lars asked us not to wear black today. He did so to remind us that this is no ordinary funeral. We are here to celebrate Bianca's extraordinary life. From her wheelchair, Bianca reached out and touched us all, in ways we could never have imagined. She was a teacher. She was a lesson in courage. And Bianca loved us all. Especially Lars. Especially him.

## Dialogue

    Lars: I was talking to Bianca, and she was saying that in her culture they have these rites of passages and rituals and ceremonies, and just all kinds of things that, when you do them, go through them, let you know that you're an adult. Doesn't that sound great?
    Gus: It does.
    Lars: How'd you know?
    Gus: How'd I know what?
    Lars: That you were a man.
    Gus: Ahhh. I couldn't tell ya.
    Lars: Was it... Okay, was it sex?
    Gus: Um. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's uh, yeah, yeah it's kind of— it's, uh— No. Well, it's kind of sex but it's not, uh, you know? I don't know. I don't know. It's— uh... good question, good question.
    Lars: Yeah, but I have to know.
    Gus: [the dryer buzzes] Hold that thought. [goes into the basement, Lars follows] You know, you should ask Dagmar.
    Lars: I did ask Dagmar. And she said that I should ask you.
    Gus: Okay, you know I can only give you my opinion.
    Lars: That's what we want.
    Gus: Well, it's not like you're one thing or the other, okay? There's still a kid inside but you grow up when you decide to do right, okay, and not what's right for you, what's right for everybody, even when it hurts.
    Lars: Okay, like what?
    Gus: Like, you know, like, you don't jerk people around, you know, and you don't cheat on your woman, and you take care of your family, you know, and you admit when you're wrong, or you try to, anyways. That's all I can think of, you know. It sounds like it's easy and for some reason it's not.
    Gus: What are we doing? Why are we doing this for him?
    Karin: Oh, come on. It's funny!
    Gus: Is it?
    Karin: I don't know. I don't know, maybe not.
    [gets up, leaves]
    Hazel: Well, that's how life is, Lars.
    Mrs. Gruner: Everything at once.
    Sally: We brought casseroles.
    Lars: Thank you. [looks around the sewing circle. The three ladies are knitting and doing needlepoint] Um, is there something I should be doing right now?
    Mrs. Gruner: No, dear. You eat.
    Sally: We came over to sit.
    Hazel: That's what people do when tragedy strikes.
    Sally: They come over, and sit.
    Lars: You don't care.
    Karin: We don't care? We do care!
    Lars: No you don't.
    Karin: That is just not true! God! Every person in this town bends over backward to make Bianca feel at home. Why do you think she has so many places to go and so much to do? Huh? Huh? Because of you! Because - all these people - love you! We push her wheelchair. We drive her to work. We drive her home. We wash her. We dress her. We get her up, and put her to bed. We carry her. And she is not petite, Lars. Bianca is a big, big girl! None of this is easy - for any of us - but we do it... Oh! We do it for you! So don't you dare tell me how we don't care. [walks into house and slams door]
    Dagmar: So, tell me about Karin. I don't know her very well.
    Lars: Oh, she's wonderful. Gus and I are very lucky with women - she's wonderful. But she...
    Dagmar: That's okay, let's find you something to read.
    Lars: No, it's just... between us?
    Dagmar: Of course.
    Lars: I'm worried about her. I think she has a little problem.
    Dagmar: Oh, well, maybe you shouldn't tell me.
    Lars: No, that's okay. It's just, and I think it's because she's insecure, it's just, she's just always trying to hug everybody. You know, some people don't like that. Some people don't like to be hugged. But she doesn't realize that. She takes it personally, and, it hurts her feelings. I don't know what to do about that. Do you?
    Dagmar: It's such a comfort sometimes, just to have somebody's arms around you. Don't you think?
    Lars: No.
    Dagmar: It feels good.
    Lars: It does not feel good. It, it hurts.
    Dagmar: Oh, like a cut, or bruise?
    Lars: Like a burn. Like when you go outside and your feet freeze and you come back in and then they thaw out? It's like that. It's almost exactly like that.
    Dagmar: Same with everyone?
    Lars: Uh, not really with Bianca. But everyone else.
    Dagmar: Have there been any changes in the family in the last year or so?
    Gus: [while Karin simultaneously nods "Yes"] No, everything is pretty much exactly the same except Karin is pregnant and Lars is nuts.
    Dagmar: You know, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. What we call mental illness isn't always just an illness. It can be a communication; it can be a way to work something out.
    Gus: Fantastic. When will it be over?
    Dagmar: When he doesn't need it anymore.
    Karin: How can we help?
    Dagmar: Go along with it.
    Karin: Oh, no. No, that's... No.
    Gus: Oh, my. No, no, no. No. No, I mean, pretend that she's real? I'm not gonna do that. I mean, I can't. I'm just not gonna do it.
    Dagmar: She is real.
    Gus: Well...
    Dagmar: She's right out there.
    Gus: Right, right, I get that, but I'm just not gonna, you know...
    Dagmar: You won't be able to change his mind, anyway. Bianca's in town for a reason.
    Gus: But - but...
    Dagmar: It's not really a choice.
    Karin: Okay. Okay, all right, we'll do it, whatever it takes.
    Gus: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And everyone's gonna laugh at him.
    Dagmar: And you.
    Kurt: Listen up, Margo, those action figures are very important to me. They're worth a lot of money. And if I don't see every damned one back on my desk pretty soon, then, you can tell your teddy to watch his back.
    Margo: [returns one action figure] I'll return them, one at a time... You going to Cindy's party?
    Lars: Oh, no.
    Margo: I was hoping you would. I really wish you would.
    Lars: Do you think I could bring my girlfriend?
    Margo: Oh, um, yeah, yeah, I'm totally bringing somebody
    Lars: Hm.

## Cast

* Ryan Gosling - Lars Lindstrom
* Emily Mortimer - Karin Lindstrom
* Paul Schneider - Gus Lindstrom
* R. D. Reid - Reverend Bock
* Kelli Garner - Margo
* Nancy Beatty - Mrs. Gruner
* Doug Lennox - Mr. Hofstedtler
* Joe Bostick - Mr. Shaw
* Bianca - herself
* Liz Gordon - Mrs. Schindler
* Nicky Guadagni - Mrs. Petersen
* Patricia Clarkson - Dagmar Berman, MD
* Karen Robinson - Cindy
* Maxwell McCabe-Lokos - Kurt

## External links

* Lars and the Real Girl quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* Lars and the Real Girl at Rotten Tomatoes