Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Director:

Marc Forster

Writer (WGA):

Zach Helm (written by)

Release Date:

10 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Harold Crick isn't ready to go. Period.

Plot:

An IRS auditor suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | IRS Agent | Bicycling | Surreal | Fantasy Sequence

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 11 nominations

Cast

Will Ferrell	...	Harold Crick
William Dick	...	IRS Co-Worker #1
Guy Massey	...	IRS Co-Worker #2
Martha Espinoza	...	IRS Co-Worker #3
T.J. Jagodowski	...	IRS Co-Worker #4
Peter Grosz	...	IRS Co-Worker #5
Ricky Adams	...	Young Boy
Christian Stolte	...	Young Boy's Father
Denise Hughes	...	Kronecker Bus Driver
Peggy Roeder	...	Polish Woman
Tonray Ho	...	IRS Co-Worker #6
Tony Hale	...	Dave
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Ana Pascal
Danny Rhodes	...	Bakery Employee #1
Helen Young	...	Bakery Customer #1

Also Known As:

Killing Harold Crick (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some disturbing images, sexuality, brief language and nudity.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:M | Ireland:12A | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG | Denmark:7 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42015) | New Zealand:M | Germany:6 | Malaysia:U | Netherlands:6 | Norway:11 | Sweden:7 | Finland:K-7 | Brazil:10 | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | South Korea:12 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

25th Street & Christiana Avenue, South Lawndale, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

In an early scene, on-screen graphics appear that resemble an image used to illustrate the golden ratio. In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio between the sum of those quantities and the larger one is the same as the ratio between the larger one and the smaller. This ratio can be expressed as a mathematical constant, usually denoted by the Greek letter Phi.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Early in the movie Ms. Eiffel dictates that Harold always ties his tie in the movie in a single-bow Windsor knot. That is not always the case. The bow is in a double bow at least once after that. When it is in a single bow, the bow is not always tied on the same side - which is usually the case.

Quotes:

Dr. Jules Hilbert: Have you met anyone recently who might loathe the very core of you?
Harold Crick: I just started auditing a woman who told me to get bent.
Dr. Jules Hilbert: Well, that sounds like a comedy. Try to develop that.

Movie Connections:

References The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Soundtrack:

Small Stakes

What if your life really WAS a book?

Fantasy movie, a la "Groundhog Day" where a man, Harold Crick in this case, finds he has no control over his life....which leads to him really appreciate his life. Although the premise is clearly fantasy, the concept is intriguing and compelling.

Cast is terrific; those who usually over-act, e.g. Dustin Hoffman and Will Ferrell, play it lower-keyed and believable. Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah and Maggie Gyllenhall (and Tom Hulce, almost unrecognizable in a single scene)round out the excellent cast .

A feel-good movie, mostly comedy but with some tragic undertones.

Close to two hours but you won't be looking at your watch very often.