The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

All of us are guilty of it. Drifting off into our own minds. Creating vibrant stories and images larger than the ones that we actually live day to day. Daydreaming. Walter Mitty does that. He does that a lot.

Ben Stiller fills the shoes of the title character. I know, in the eyes of many, he is still the world's most famous male model, but this may be one of my favorite roles of his yet. Here, he captures the cautious, life-yearning heart of Walter Mitty. A man who leads a life that looks just like the gray jacket he wears. To make up for it, he frequently escapes into his own world, where he has the guts to say and do whatever he wants. Ironically, he works at LIFE magazine, a place who's business is literally to see the world and all of it's dangerous places. Walter is crushin' a super cute, surprisingly tame Kristen Wiig and dealing with a horribly bearded, bully of a boss played by Adam Scott. (Seriously, this is NOT Leslie Knope's kind of dude.) When a crucial photo goes missing, Walter's job is in jeopardy. He's faced with a dilemma; will he be brave enough to chase the answers or will he safely let the chips fall where they may?

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty welcomes the audience into action-packed daydreams and the fear and adventure found in reality. The cinematography is phenomenal, living up to the standards of LIFE photographs. Watching the film allows the viewer to step onto some of the grandest landscapes in the world, exploring not only the beauty of nature but a life truly lived. While the film is funny and certainly has its quirks, overall it has the power to remind us of who we are, who we once dreamt of being, and who we can become. LIFE magazine was a fantastic backdrop choice to a film that intricately weaves life and dream together. However, at times  the two elements felt a bit blurred and I found myself sitting up in my seat, wide eyed like that dentist kid, yelling "IS THIS REAL LIFE??" I didn't sign up for A Beautiful Mind 2. But with it's beautifully indie soundtrack, Walter Mitty doesn't try too hard. As we hear in the film, "Beautiful things don't ask for attention." It's a moving photograph; an homage to the world around us, quietly calling us to wake up and take notice. The film extends it's hand to welcome us into more that just two hours in a theater. It calls us to step out of our daydreams and into our lives. 

So. there you have it. I highly recommend this film! It's not out until Christmas, but it's perfect to see with the family during all of the festivities. Or, ya know, just take yourself. You might have some reflecting to do afterwards. ;)