Day 32: Stranger Than Fiction Review

“Stranger Than Fiction” with Will Farrell, Maggie Gyllenhall, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, and–look for him–Tom Hulce is done well.

Before I internally remarked on the plot, theme, tone, acting, humor, or whatever one might normally consider first, I thought, all these actors should be pleased. The smoothly done quirk and humor permeates the film. Acting, story, scene, and on-screen graphics blended.

It amazes me that this movie faired poorly at the box office. Didn’t it?

I suspect the trailer gave viewers the impression that the concept would drive the plot in a direction that skewed toward farce. Stranger instead grounds it’s humor in smart writing and enjoyable thinking. The almost unexpected ending picks up every bread crumb dropped along the way. Tight, tidy, elegant.

Everyone of the characters is kooky in a way that makes you think they might not be kooky at all. Emma’s frustrated author I would be happy to see again.