‘Stranger Than Fiction’ disappeared from theaters without a trace
Something happened to “Stranger Than Fiction” when it arrived in theaters last November. It disappeared without much of a trace.
The PG-13 picture got lost in the box-office shuffle and, according to boxofficemojo.com, grossed just $40.4 million -a drop in the bucket for a Will Ferrell film – before disappearing from the big screen.
Don’t make the same mistake when “Stranger Than Fiction” (Sony; $28.99, DVD; $38.99, Blu-ray Disc; Feb. 27) arrives in stores. Those seeking a feel-good fable should feel a heartwarming glow while watching this charming work.
Film fans accustomed to Ferrell playing broad characters in meltdown mode in hits such as “Old School” and “Talladega Nights” will experience a very different side of him. “Stranger Than Fiction” demands that the viewers make a leap of faith as reality and fantasy collide when a character in a nearly completed novel discovers that the author who created him plans to kill him.
That doomed character is Harold Crick (Ferrell), a by-the book IRS agent whose life has been neatly divided into easily definable segments that shield him from any emotional demands. Crick’s troubles start thanks to a woman’s voice that only he can hear. She reacts to his every move and ultimately informs him that his days are numbered.
The mysterious words come from Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson of “Sense and Sensibility”), a gifted author who writes critically acclaimed novels known for their bleak endings in which the main characters die. As Eiffel battles writer’s block and plans the demise of the IRS employee, Crick starts to hear her thoughts and goes into a panic that sends him to a literary scholar, Professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman of “Meet the Fockers”), who has long studied Eiffel’s work, understands her thought process and may provide him with a clue abut how to go on living.
The problem, however, is that the well-meaning professor knows how Eiffel plans to conclude her novel and considers it a perfect ending, even though it will erase Crick from the face of the earth (or whatever dimension he dwells in).
Crick’s will to survive strengthens due to Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal of “Sherrybaby”), a free-spirited bakery owner whose easygoing way, sexy manner and zest for life totally contrast the repressed accountant’s bean-counter existence.
Pascal, however, is able to see just below the surface of Crick. The dynamic young woman realizes that he possesses passion, which he has always kept hidden, and values that make him an extraordinary individual in terms of sacrifice for the good of others.
Crick simply serves as a metaphor for the importance of embracing life rather than simply enduring it. Some may shrug off such a making-every-minute-count message as a clich?d sentiment, but in the hands of director Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland”), it becomes something quite delightful.
Debuting 26-year-old screenwriter Zach Helm uses “Stranger Than Fiction” to tap into our fears and anxieties about today’s strikingly complex, seemingly insurmountable problems. Through his script, he warns us to control our fears, step outside of our personal safety zones and discover every-day things capable of lifting our spirits, touching our hearts and changing our lives.
With his top-notch cast, including Queen Latifah as a publishing-house problem solver, Forster takes viewers on a magical journey in which tragedy and comedy collide head-on. The cinematic collision provides a wonderful lesson on the importance of controlling the drama in our lives and seeing the light before eternal darkness falls.
Those who watch “Stranger Than Fiction” in the Blu-ray Disc format will be dazzled by the incredible colors and textures in the remarkable little film.
The extras include a discussion between Forster and the cast members, outtakes and deleted scenes, an interview on the film’s relevance with Helm and producer Lindsay Doran and a featurette on shooting “Stranger Than Fiction” in Chicago.
Now Playing!
The following DVD titles either are coming soon or recently landed at a video store near you.
If your local outlet doesn’t stock them, the DVD offerings can be mail ordered by calling (800) 523-0823 or going to the Web site moviesunlimited.com or amazon.com, unless otherwise noted.
Movies
– “Alexander Revisited: The Final Cut – Two Disc Special Edition” (Warner; $24.99, DVD; Feb. 27) with Colin Farrell (“Miami Vice”), Angelina Jolie (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) and Val Kilmer (“Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”) in director Oliver Stone’s new version of the adventure epic. The unrated film contains 45 minutes of previously unseen footage and Stone provides a new introduction.
– “Ali G Indahouse: The Movie” (Universal; $14.99, DVD; Feb. 27) with Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat”) in an R-rated comedy based on his politically incorrect HBO comedy series.
– “Coastlines” (Genius; $24.99, DVD; now available) with Josh Lucas (“Glory Road”), Timothy Olyphant (HBO’s “Deadwood”) and Sarah Wynter (TV’s “24”) in an R-rated tale about an ex-con who returns home and finds that his best friend is married to the woman he loved.
– “Conversations With God” (Fox; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 27) with Henry Czerny (“The Pink Panther”) in the true story of a homeless man who turned his life around. The faith-based title is based on Neale Donald Walsch’s book, which has sold more than seven million copies and has been translated into 34 languages.
– “A Good Year” (Fox; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 27) with Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”) in a mild feel-good tale, rated PG-13, about a money-obsessed businessman who learns to enjoy life after inheriting a vineyard in France.
– “Heading South” (Genius; $24.99, DVD; now available) with Charlotte Rampling (“The Night Porter”) in an unrated film, set in 1978, about three middle-aged women who go on holiday in Haiti and become involved with some handsome young islanders.
– “Man About Town” (Lionsgate; $26.99, DVD; now available) with Ben Affleck (“Hollywoodland”), Rebecca Romijn (“X-Men”) and John Cleese (“A Fish Called Wanda”) in an R-rated, direct-to-video comedy about a hard-nosed Los Angeles agent who discovers that his wife is being unfaithful and that a reporter plans to expose the man’s problems in print.
– “Pelts” (Anchor Bay; $14.99, DVD; now available) with John Saxon (“Enter the Dragon”) and Meat Loaf (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) in Italian director Dario Argento’s unrated supernatural thriller about a luxurious fur coat that was made from the skins of raccoons and takes on a life of its own. It aired as part of Showtime’s “The Masters of Horror” series.
– “Samoan Wedding” (Magnolia; $26.99, DVD; now available), an unrated comedy about a guy who’s getting married and worries that his four close friends will resort to their party-animal ways during his reception.
– “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny” (New Line; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 27) with Jack Black (“King Kong”) and his old music partner Kyle Gass in a broad R-rated comedy about two veteran rockers on a journey to find a guitar pick with awesome powers.
– “Tideland: 2-Disc Collector’s Edition” (ThinkFilm; $27.99, DVD; Feb. 27) with Jeff Bridges (“The Big Lebowski”) and Jodelle Ferland (“Silent Hill”) in director Terry Gilliam’s bizarre R-rated tale about a little girl who creates an imaginary world after her drug-addict parents overdose and she’s stranded in a remote house.
– “White Air” (Monarch; $26.99, DVD; now available) with Tom Sizemore (“Black Hawk Down”) and Dominique Swain (“Lolita”) in a PG-rated picture about a snowboarder who once dreamed of becoming a champion and now works at a local garage to help support his family.
Documentary
– “Heart of the Game” (Buena Vista; $29.99, DVD; Feb. 27), a film, rated PG-13, about Bill Resler, the women’s basketball coach in Seattle’s Roosevelt High School, and how, over a seven-year period, he inspired members of a mediocre team to control their tempers and use their minds on and off the court.
Music
– “Bob Dylan: Don’t Look Back – ’65 Tour Deluxe Edition” (Docurama; $49.99, DVD; Feb. 27) with the legendary musician captured by documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker during Dylan’s 1965 tour of England.
Television
– “Anything But Love: Volume 1” (Fox; $39.99, DVD; now available) with Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween”) and Richard Lewis (HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) in a three-disc set with the first 28 episodes of the series about two co-workers who try to ignore their mutual attraction and maintain their longstanding friendship.
– “The Golden Girls: The Complete Seventh Season” (Buena Vista; $39.99, DVD; now available) with Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty as Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia, respectively. The three-disc set contains all 26 episodes of the final season of the sitcom about older women and their relationships with men, family members and each other.
– “Mad About You: The Complete Third Season” (Sony; $39.99, DVD; now available) with Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt in a three-disc set with all 24 episodes from the third year of the popular series about a young couple whose love for each other carries them through any mishap. The guest stars include Lisa Kudrow (TV’s “Friends”), Carl Reiner (TV’s “The Dick Van Dyke Show”), and former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Children/Family
– “Hellboy: Sword of Storms” (Starz; $19.99, DVD; now available) with Ron Perlman, who starred in the film “Hellboy,” providing the voice of the title character during an animated tale in which the offbeat hero must stop a duo of demons from taking over the world.
– “Little Einsteins: The Legend of the Golden Pyramid” (Buena Vista; $19.99, DVD; Feb. 27) with the characters from the Disney Channel’s “Little Einsteins” in a feature-length animated film that has the characters visiting the pyramids in Egypt and the wall of China.
– Three new titles – “Travel With Kids Hawaii: The Big Island,” “Travel With Kids Hawaii: The Island of Kauai” and “Travel With Kids Mexico: The Yucatan” (Equator Creative Media; $14.99 each, DVD; travelwithkidsdvd.com; Feb. 27) – in the “Travel With Kids” educational series.