Review of Stranger Than Fiction (2000) by Zachary S — 24 Feb 2016

Life is a story. This phrase is taken literally in the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction. Harold Crick, played by the generally comedic Will Ferrell, is a meticulous IRS agent who wakes one morning and realizes that there is a voice in his head narrating his everyday life. Director Marc Forster pairs Ferrell with other stars, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah and Emma Thompson, to give life to this drama comedy. Set in what appears to be a major city in America, Stranger Than Fiction takes you on a journey of self discovery, a quest of uncertainty, and an exploration of love.

Harold Crick is an average, boring IRS agent who lives a very calculated life, meticulous down to the 76 strokes of his toothbrush every morning. It is during one of these brushstrokes that his life changes at the sound of an anonymous woman's voice narrating his routine. Harold's carefully controlled life is turned upside down by the presence of the voice only he can hear. To change his fate, he seeks the assistance of a literature professor. When the professor hears that the voice said, "Little did he know...would result in his imminent death" he knows that Harold is not crazy and could not be narrating his own life. The two attempt to seek out which novel he may be a part of and who the voice might be. Meanwhile, Harold begins a new life: that of one who knows of their impending doom but wants to live fully before then. He develops new hobbies, a new love interest, and begins a new life of adventure while that ever lingering thought of his death remains in the forefront of his mind.

The visual effects in this movie were well used to elaborate on the calculated character of Harold Crick. The 3D animated information graphics shown during the opening sequence of this film were highly impressive. From the numbers showing how many brushstrokes Harold was at, to the calculated display of the different stages of tying a single windsor knot shown as Harold ties his tie. Each one shows thoughtful and creative design meant to captivate the audience and make them feel as if they are watching a computer animated life. This technique also allows the audience to see the control Harold's watch has on his life and how that all may change if something were to happen to it.

The background music was well used in this movie to set the tone for each scene and the characters personalities. In the beginning, as Harold's routine is being typed out onto the screen, there is monotonous music playing in the background to emphasis the computed life of Harold Crick. This background music drastically changes when Harold enters Ana Pascal's cafe. Harold goes there with the intention of auditing her, yet Ana refuses and playing in the background is rebellious punk music. Punk music seems to have a common theme of 'sticking it to the man' and in the scene Ana is sticking it to the IRS agent. The music is artfully used to create mood and reveal different aspects of Ana and Harold's characters.

Over all, I thought the film worked well as a drama but may have been lacking in the comedy department. Dramas are meant to keep you in suspense till the very end and rely on the development of a realistic character. I found Harold Crick to be a relatable realistic human and he definitely developed from his mundane self to a more adventurous version. As a comedy it did not do as well because of its poor attempt at witty humour and gambling with someone's life is never amusing. As a drama I would give it thunderous applause, but not quite a standing ovation. As a comedy I would give it a soft golf clap. Potential viewers would be people that enjoy a drama with a comedic flare and who are okay with a little predictability.