Ruby Sparks

Plot synopsis:
Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) is a young novelist who is struggling to recreate the early success of his first novel but unable to commit to any of his ideas. With his introverted personality and idealistic view of what it means to be in love, Calvin also struggles in finding relationships, feeling most women are only interested in an idolized and preconceived notion of who they believe him to be.
His therapist, Dr. Rosenthal (Elliott Gould), gives him a writing assignment: to write a page about someone who likes his rather uninspiring dog, Scotty. Calvin has a dream in which he meets an attractive young woman, who draws a picture of Scotty and says she likes him. Calvin wakes and is inspired to write about her. In therapy he admits he is falling in love with the character he is writing and tells the therapist all about Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan).
Calvin's brother Harry (Chris Messina) and sister-in-law Susie (Toni Trucks) come to visit and find several articles of women's clothing around the house. That night while writing before falling asleep at his typewriter, Calvin writes a passage with Ruby admitting, although he is not the type of guy she usually falls for, she is falling in love with him. The next day, Calvin is stunned to find Ruby in his kitchen, as an actual living person. Thinking he is going crazy, he calls Harry, who does not believe him and advises him to meet with someone else to take his mind off things. Ruby is confused by his behavior and insists on coming along, but he leaves her to shop while he meets Mabel (Alia Shawkat), a young fan of his book who had given him her number. Ruby finds them and believes he is cheating on her. In the ensuing confrontation, Calvin discovers that others can actually see Ruby, proving that she is a real person and not a figment of his imagination. Calvin explains that he feels overwhelmed, and they make up.
Calvin introduces Ruby to Harry, who is incredulous at first and suggests alternate explanations. However, Calvin soon proves that his writing directly affects Ruby. Saying he loves Ruby, Calvin asks Harry not to tell anyone of Ruby's origins. Although Harry warns him that women are mysterious creatures and that things may change, Calvin insists that since he wrote her into existence, he knows her. He asserts that he will never write about Ruby again.
Months later, Calvin reluctantly takes Ruby to meet his free-spirited mother Gertrude (Annette Bening) and her boyfriend Mort (Antonio Banderas). While Ruby with her much more outgoing personality enjoys the time with Calvin's family, introverted Calvin spends the weekend reading by himself, growing jealous of the time Ruby is spending with other people. Ruby's happy spirit begins to dampen at Calvin's increased gloominess.
After they return home to Calvin's house, the relationship is tense. Calvin complains about Ruby's singing while she cooks and he reads. Depressed, she and Calvin have a serious talk. Ruby tells Calvin how lonely she is and suggests they start spending less time together. Calvin feels miserable and fearful Ruby will soon break up with him. He begins to write Ruby's story again out of desperation, and writes that Ruby is also miserable without him. Ruby returns to Calvin's house full-time but becomes incredibly clingy toward him, afraid to leave his side for even a second. Calvin tires of this and writes that Ruby is instead "filled with effervescent joy," at which point she becomes constantly happy. This leaves Calvin unhappy, knowing her happiness is artificial.
After talking with Harry about what he has been doing, Calvin intends to write Ruby back to her normal self, but the wording he uses leaves Ruby confused. Ruby fights with Calvin once more. He attempts to cheer her up and takes her along to a party hosted by author Langdon Tharp (Steve Coogan). At the party, Calvin leaves Ruby and talks with people about his still-unfinished manuscript. He also runs into his ex-girlfriend Lila (Deborah Ann Woll), and they have a heated argument in which Lila accuses Calvin of being uninterested in anyone outside of himself. Langdon sees Ruby alone and flirts with her, convincing her to strip to her underwear and join him in the pool. Calvin finds Ruby just as she is stepping into the pool with Langdon. Furious and humiliated, Calvin drives Ruby home.
At home, Calvin and Ruby fight, with Ruby telling Calvin he cannot stop her from doing what she wants. As she prepares to leave, Calvin reveals that she is a product of his imagination and that he can indeed control her, and is capable of making her do anything he writes. He demonstrates this to her by making her perform various ever more frenzied and humiliating actions. In his excitement, he jams the type bars of his typewriter. Ruby, exhausted, collapses to the floor. Calvin hangs his head in anguish, before gently attempting to approach Ruby. Just as Calvin reaches out for her, Ruby runs into his bedroom and locks the door.
Calvin writes a final page, which states that as soon as Ruby leaves the house she is no longer his creation, no longer subject to his will, and she is free. He leaves the manuscript outside her door, with a note telling her to read the last page and that he loves her. The next morning, Calvin finds that the note is gone along with Ruby, and he breaks down sobbing.
Time passes, and Harry suggests he write a new book about his experiences with Ruby. The novel, The Girlfriend, is a success. While walking with Scotty in the park, Calvin sees a woman that appears to be Ruby, but she has no recollection of him. She is reading his book, which she says her friend described as pretentious. She also states Calvin seems very familiar to her, which Calvin deflects by showing her his photo on the book. Embarrassed when Calvin reveals himself as the author, she asks if they can "start over". They sit and talk, and she asks him not to spoil the ending for her. Calvin replies, "I promise."

Tags: psychedelic

Review:
Backed by a strong cast including Paul Dano, Steve Coogan, Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, and Elliott Gould, Ruby Sparks attempts to be that latest independent film to bring audiences something new and creative.
This is easily one of the more unique romantic comedies to come along in a while stepping away from the normal format and instead taking a left hand turn creating something new.This is a funny touching film that does get a bit heavy at times and while not a long movie does feel a bit too long at times due to pacing.
The unique Zoe Kazan wrote and stars in this quirky, fascinating, and original film about a writer with writer's block (Paul Dano, Kazan's real-life main squeeze) who invents the girl of his dreams, writes about her, and watches her become real.While this film has been billed by reviewers and marketed by publicists as a "romantic comedy," in many ways it's not.
But Zoe is also extremely appealing as the film's title character, showing a range of acting skills that could make her a star.And for fun, we get Bening, Banderas, and Gould, all enlivening the proceedings.Original movies are hard to find, and when you find them, often hard to watch.
It's reminiscent of Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell, although Dano plays his part more like Jim Carrey might have done a decade ago: broad and physical, but with subtlety and pathos behind the mugging.In a welcome tonal shift, Ruby Sparks moves gradually from hip romantic comedy to meta-horror - although it feels like there's a bit too much of the former, as I got the feeling that the zany pixie girl and self- hating writer stereotypes were being indulged more than they were being deconstructed.
So we have a film about art imitating life, written by the actor playing the title character, starring her real-life partner (Dano), and directed by the real-life partnership of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (best known for Little Miss Sunshine).
Zoe Kazan, who has made a living with smaller supporting roles in a variety of films, (Revolutionary Road, Happythankyoumoreplease, It's Complicated) writes and stars as the title character in Ruby Sparks, a role that is bound to officially put her on the map.
She doesn't allow you to take your eyes off her, and has loads of fun playing with the mass amount of emotions that come from being the figment of a possible crazy person's imagination.Ruby Sparks is creative, original, highly entertaining and one of the best films of the year.
Acting legends Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas and Elliot Gould jump in for short periods of time making huge waves and leaving long lasting impressions.Unlike most romantic type movies, Ruby Sparks doesn't feel like a retread Kate HudsonSandra BullockKatherine Heigl cheese fest, and is filled with a fun, creative energy that is too often missed in rom-com's.
This movie is a charming little film from a very exciting new talent, Zoe Kazan, who i think is going to excel with her next foray into screen writing.
It may sound like i didn't like this movie but i did, it's quirky and very indie which is the kind of stuff i like, it has two leads who are excellent in their roles (it does help that the audience knows they are in love in real life), and it has a wonderful supporting cast, in particular the always excellent Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas who impressed me in a role i'd never picture him in otherwise.One particular part of the film i like was the realistic portrayal of a modern day relationship, it's not all romance and love every day, there are dark parts to a relationship and it's portrayed here very well, the relationship ups and downs are some of the best i've seen in a film in a very long time.
The production and all that jazz is done very well, it's impressive how low budget indie films are made so well and stylish these days, i guess it's a good indication of a director knowing how to make a movie well.Little Miss Sunshine it ain't, but it is a bit of fun for a Sunday afternoon, it's nice to see a new girl on the block taking on the quirky side of cinema, MOVE OVER ZOOEY DESCHANEL, THERE'S A NEW ZOE ABOUT TO TAKE YOUR CROWN.
Acting was good by all involved, i wish there would have been more scenes with Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas characters, they both had excellent cameos (yes, unfortunately they were to short to call them a real performances) - terrific sequence at the middle within Calvin's mom's house.
Ruby Sparks belongs to that type of "indie" romantic cinema with a message, employing the clichés of the genre in order to tell an apparently fantastic story, but with a solid core of reality and valuable life lessons.The use of "magic" in a romantic comedy is usually an excuse to solve situations in the most convenient way, without having to think too much.
I think the only weak spot is Antonio Banderas, who feels kinda forced in his character.In summary, I enjoyed Ruby Sparks pretty much and I recommend it to the fans of the romantic comedy as well as to its haters, because it proves that the genre can produce interesting and amusing stuff when it's in the hands of filmmakers with talent..
Magic is our birthright, no more or less miraculous than our ability to compute the reality we want when we are in our dreams." In the comedy-drama Ruby Sparks, however, directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) take the idea that we naturally create our own experience and turn it into a magic trick, a one-of-a-kind miracle that provides ego gratification and manipulation of others.Written by Zoe Kahan, Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) is a thirty-something writer who achieved success in his teens with a breakthrough novel but has been unable to write a follow-up for ten years and is seeing a therapist (Elliott Gould).
Clinging to his need for a compliant little dream girl, Calvin cannot accept the real Ruby with her new self-awareness and mood swings.He soon learns that he can control her behavior simply by typing a sentence or two about her on his anachronistic typewriter.
It has a good story, better than average performances, and an intriguing premise, but its humor is forced and the dialogue is non-stop irritating.The forever glum Dano, barely believable as a famous novelist, is even less so as a romantic lead and, though Dano and Kahan are a couple in real life, their on-screen chemistry leaves much to be desired.
Actress Zoe Kazan's screen writing debut tries to touch on all three.Paul Dano stars as Calvin Weir-Fields, a writer whose first novel became an American sensation but between writer's block and a mess of psychological issues he can't follow it up.
The cast contains numerous talents in supporting and in many cases less-than-supporting roles, in part likely due to the directing duo of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, whose film debut "Little Miss Sunshine" made waves throughout Hollywood and earned Alan Arkin an Oscar.Veterans Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas make big impressions with little screen time, while emerging or underrated talents Steve Coogan ("Tropic Thunder"), Chris Messina ("The Newsroom"), Alia Shawkat ("Arrested Development") and Aasif Mandvi ("The Daily Show") round things out with pivotal roles, generally adding to the film's lighter tones.Kazan really nails the humor, both as a writer and an actress, when Calvin discovers Ruby is not in fact a figment of his imagination and later on when he tries to control her through his writing.
Kazan chooses to focus on whether the ideal love interest of the male protagonist as depicted in works of fiction could ever exist in real life.There's a sharp anti-misogynistic and feminist undercurrent inherent in that concept, which Kazan tries to frame it as a question of whether Calvin can truly be happy with a Ruby who acts of her own volition, or at least with allowing her to.
When Calvin messes with her a bit, however, she enters some awkward territory and given the nature of her character, we never treat Ruby as a complete, real person, though we wish Calvin did."Ruby Sparks" gets lost in trying to figure out what kind of story it wants to tell, namely because outside of a fantastical concept, there's not an obvious one.
Calvin(Dano) is the shy, bookish, introverted type, while Ruby, the title character (Kazan), is a sprightly, sweet - and beautiful - pixie.There isn't a lot I can say about this film without giving away major plot points.
Both films benefit hugely from an accomplished and surprising cast: Compare Little Miss Sunshine's ensemble with Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan, Elliot Gould, Zoe KazanOh, and both films share a star in Paul Dano.But let's stop the comparisons and deal with the uniqueness of Ruby Sparks.Written by Kazan, the actress behind the title role, Ruby Sparks is an odd little story of a formerly successful writer, Calvin Weir-Fields (Dano), suffering a very serious case of writer's block and Woody Allen-esque neuroses.
The characters are either despicable or one-note, the script sorely lacks, Paul Dano was obnoxious, Poor Zoe Kazan tries to liven up the scene with nothing to work with, the final 5 minutes feels like nothing was accomplished, and the whole thing was an overall chore.
His chronic writer's block begins to clear, however, after a dream and he spends one glorious and productive night riding a story about a manic pixie dream girl named Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan).
'RUBY SPARKS': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris's bizarre fantasy comedy drama film about a novelist who falls in love with a character he's writing and magically she comes to life.
I think the Ruby Sparks character in this film definitely comes off that way whether the writer or directors intended her to or not.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olADa6vEcMk. Be careful what you wish for..
While Ruby Sparks is at times plodding, at others it has the allure of a story fantastic enough to be almost believable, close as it comes to the real psychological truth.Calvin (Paul Dano) has writer's block when he is miraculously moved into prolific mode by creating a character, Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan), who becomes his lover and his muse.
(500) Days of Summer may have been my favourite film back in 2009, and who would have thought that Ruby Sparks served up a story today which is just as strong in emotions, and sucker punched me in the gut, leaving me breathless by the time the movie ended, weeping and aching in heart, and yet uplifted in spirit for its bittersweet feel.
It's like a companion film in spirit, a reflection and examination into the dynamics of a relationship, with a little bit of fantasy thrown in, and how reality and fantasy don't really make good bedfellows when it comes to affairs of the heart, more often than not, having to taper expectations to meet with reality.If gone in blind without knowing a thing about the film, one may have thought that it's probably written by a guy, given that this was quite the guy's wet dream, in having absolute control over a female counterpart just because, not having to deal with complex emotions that rear their ugly head once in a while, and able to almost wish it away at will.
Well, the surprise here is that it's written by Zoe Kazan, who also plays the titular character of Ruby Sparks, and directed by the duo of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, responsible for Little Miss Sunshine, which explains the ability in making this a truly worthy follow up to their hit little film.It's a writer's movie as well, centered around Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano), a prodigy of sorts who had written one acclaimed novel some 10 years ago, in between writing some smaller works, but never having it in him to replicate the success of his virgin effort.
Ruby Sparks spent time to up the ante on the issue of her existence, whether only in Calvin's mind, or is in fact a real person, with humour coming from disbelief shared by Calvin's brother Harry (Chris Messina), and even then, with how things go, whether everything can possibly be made up by one person, locking himself up, and being extremely focused about having to cough up his next big novel.
Ruby Sparks may not ultimately be as good as any of those films, but it took chances and provided thought provoking commentary for an otherwise paint by numbers genre.Besides all of the interesting plot and character choices, there's some really powerful performances here.
Although I download it because I'm into romantic movies but that one totally exceeded my expectations!!Awesome performance for both Dano and Zoe and the story itself is very amazing and full of things to consider in real life.Without spoiling the material I read once but can't remember where a saying: "If you love someone let him/her go if they came back then it's real if they didn't then they ain't your ones from beginning" ..
After reading a short summary, I loved the overall idea and character of Ruby Sparks, a woman who is literally created by an author with writer's block, and presumably, is said author's love interest throughout the movie.
When his psychiatrist gives him an idea Calvin begins to type, and comes up with a woman named Ruby Sparks (Kazan) a character he made up that somehow becomes real and he begins to fall in love with her.
The Persons in the film is as surprised as the viewer about whats going on at times and especially for Ruby and Calvin the turn of events seem strange, but also exciting and mind blowing.Essentially it becomes a power struggle between the natural evolvement and the ability to change the course of events, whats make you happy at the beginning and what should evolve to be a good foundation for a relationship, is not necessarily one and the same.
Zoe Kazan's perfect story is translated to the screen in a film which may not quite be to everyone's taste - it is unashamedly romantic - but is good enough to get you thinking so many things about human relationships, not least the idea that to love something is to set it free.
Ms Kazan's acting (as Ruby)in this film alongside Paul Dano (as Calvin) is staggeringly good too.
This film is recommended.Ruby Sparks takes the tried-and true Pygmalion formula and successfully reworks it into a modern day romantic comedy about a celebrated author suffering from writer's block who literally meets the girl of his dreams.
All this may come off as pretentiously hipster to some, but is actually very refreshing amidst the sea of production-line, puerile comedies Hollywood seems to be churning out like butter these days, and not once does the film feel smug.Paul Dano, a Little Miss Sunshine alum, has yet to truly hit the big time – but judging from his performance as Calvin, he definitely deserves to.
The film was written by Zoe Kazan, who also plays Ruby; Calvin is played by Kazan's real-life boyfriend Paul Dano.
Not that this movie or for that matter any other needs one.Its plot revolves around a seeming feminist idea that men create an ideal of a woman and wish always to be able to control this ideal as is manifested in a real person.That real person is the fictional ' Ruby Sparks'.A very good movie that has good acting and directing as its good points and is very much worth watching.The star of this film is an able and talented screen writer who can elucidate her thoughts.
While the film didn't completely blow me away, I have to give it a lot of credit for showing this unique take on it's themes.The film is about a man named Calvin who has writers block and starts writing about a girl named Ruby, who ends up somehow becoming a real person.
Ruby Sparks (2012) *** (out of 4) Ten years after his last hit novel, writer Calvin (Paul Dano) is suffering from a mental block but that changes when he starts to write about his dream girl.
This girl, named Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan) eventually comes off the page and into his real life and soon Calvin realizes that whatever he writes comes true.
Ruby Sparks is one of them where stars like Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas create a brilliant synergy with e.g. Paul Dano, whose almost all (and gifted) performances are in non-mainstream movies - apart from There Will Be Blood.Zoe Kazan has created a pleasant romantic comedy-drama, but somehow I did not like her role as title character very much.
From the directors of Little Miss Sunshine is Ruby Sparks, a much more serious and darker film despite its billing as a comedy-drama.Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) is a writer who stuck it big when he published a critically acclaimed novel when he was 19.
Calvin makes a detailed background for the girl, Ruby Sparks: but he wakes up one day and finds that Ruby (Zoe Kazan) becomes a reality.Anyone who has invested time into writing a story and creating characters can really get to know and love their creations, feel for them when they go through their adventure.
In the Indie film "Ruby Sparks," Paul Dano plays a former wunderkind novelist who has hit the wall and run into permanent writer's block.
Ruby Sparks is a film that is different from most romantic movie's I have ever seen.
Zoe Kazan plays a very lovable Ruby Sparks, she makes Calvin's complete fixation with her character believable.