Stranger Than Fiction

Being a Will Ferrell fan since his days on Saturday Night Live, I was looking forward to his movie Stranger Than Fiction. It is more serious than the typical dumb comedy roles he plays. Sometimes it is more difficult to watch actors play a completely different role than you normally see them him, but his performance was amazing.

Will Ferrell plays the role of Harold Crick, who is a lonely IRS agent who is a compulsive counter, especially when it comes to how many strokes he uses when brushing his teeth. His Timex watch, which has a surprisingly large role in the movie, awakens him every day at the same time and seems to have a life of its own. His life plays out exactly the same every day with the only change being the person or business whom he is auditing at the time. Crick's world begins to change when he hears the voice of someone narrating his every move. His mundane life gets a jolt of excitement as he begins to try to unravel the mystery of this voice.

The narrator of Crick's life is the best selling author Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), who is known for killing off her main characters in unusual and unique ways. Harold Crick is the main character of her latest novel-in-progress and he must find her before she discovers a way to kill him off. He enlists the help of a professor by the name of Jules Hilbert, played by Dustin Hoffman, to help him find her and save his life.

Like almost every movie, there is also a love story woven into the script. Crick's love interest is played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is the owner of a little bakery that Crick is sent to audit. He meets her and immediately feels the connection, but tries to deny it for quite a while.

Although serious, the movie incorporates witty comments and humor. You will find yourself laughing quite frequently, but not because of the typical dumb jokes and comments one expects of Ferrell. The only thing that is typical of Ferrell in this movie and that his character is considered crazy, although it is stated that "He's not crazy. He's just written that way."

Even if you are not a fan of Will Ferrell, this is a movie out of the norm for him and is well worth the two hours spent watching it. It is easily one of my favorite movies. I've been told that "Of course you like it, you are an English major." But regardless of your major or job or anything else that may describe you, this movie is one that everyone can like.