In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller directs and stars as Walter Mitty a daydreamer who escapes his boring life by disappearing into his own world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. He works for Life magazine and with the world changing to digital and print media becoming a thing of the past; Life is working on their final issue and his job is threated when he loses the negative, which holds the picture for the final cover for the magazine, shot by famed photojournalist Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn). Realizing he needs that negative he embarks on a global journey that turns into a real adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.
Doubling as director and lead actor, Stiller really has learned how to become an accomplished director over the past few years. Stiller has made a career out of that embarrassing-uncomfortable-awkward situation comedy and there are times in the movie were he falls back on that, but only to add to the emotion journey that Walter must go on. And as soon as that adventure begins this man who is randomly hijacked by his melancholy daydreams, goes from being a “life watching” to “life doer”. Which leads Stiller as an actor and director into a performance worth remembering.
This is a beautiful movie with many emotional journeys for you the view and for Walter. Where in his daydreaming world Walter can be anything he wants. His daydreams are fueled by the Life covers that surround his office at all times depicting people doing great things that he would like to do. But in reality, he lacks the simple nerve to speak to the Cheryl (Kristen Wigg), the woman he likes in the office. But with the new owners transitioning from print to digital, and a condescending new manager (Adam Scott) looking to cut jobs. With Walter’s own job on the line he has to get that negative to matter what, for the final cover and for himself.
Walter’s journey take him Greenland, a volcanic Iceland, and to the upper Himalayas. Elevated by the stunning location work of cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh, showcasing just how beautiful the world is. Each location is more beautiful and interesting than the one before. Even just the locations in the Life’s New York office and Walter’s fantasy scenes; this is one damn fine looking movie. The sights are amazing and breathing taking and really do make you want to travel the world to see it all. This is a movie that wants you to take your own Walter Mitty adventure and see all you can.
Worth noting is the great score by Theodore Shaprio who does this symphonic indie alt-rock and beautiful vocals by amazing singers and bands: Jose’ Gonzalez, Of Monsters and Men, Junip and the great David Bowie. This epic movie needed epic breathtaking music to add to the beauty that Walter sees. One of the best scenes is when Walter needs to get on a helicopter, but is hesitate, he suddenly remembers a conversation he and Cheryl (Kristen Wigg) had about David Bowie’s Space Oddity being a song about people being fearless. Then his daydreams and reality meet as, Cheryl appears and sings Space Oddity as Walter makes the decision to continue his journey rather than to stay. All these great elements working together to make this a movie you will remember.
Stiller really out does himself with the casting of some great actors. They make him look better by comparison. Stiller is a better director than an actor, but he works here, because he as such passion for the film he is believable in the role. Another actor could have brought more gravitas to the emotional journey, but Stiller really does become this character and we watch him become a better person as the movie moves on. His chemistry with Kristen Wigg works very well, and could see them as a couple in another movie. But Stiller’s performance with his mother played by Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine is one of beauty. Anyone who has an aging mother they take care of can see the splendor in the performance these two are giving. It’s one of love and respect.
In the upper Himalayas, where Walter finally track down Sean Penn’s character Sean O’Connell, which is just a expertly done extended cameo at best, he gives Walter and the audience a fresh new perspective of living in the moment instead of the fast-paced life style the world seems to be in. It’s an important scene for Walter as it is for us, as we see wisdom in what O’Connell is saying. As we watch the world change around us, just like in the movie where Life magazine is downsizing because of the death of print media, we see the death of our way of living and how we as society are slowly making changes to the way the world moves now, weather it be a personal change or a world wide one. Not a bad thing, just the nature of the beast. Times are a changing around us and sometimes you just need to stop, take a breath and just live in the moment. It’s a beautiful scene full of wonderful thoughts and affirmations that are often forgotten.
This is one of the most beautiful movies of 2013, and a year that was full of over sized blockbusters and some major disappointments, it’s nice to finish the year with a great adventure that can have lasting impact for you the viewer. Weather it be inspiration to go on your own Walter Mitty journey or just try to live in the moment. This is a movie that gives you all the right feels right where you need them too be.