The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Movie Review

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” 

~ George Bernard Shaw

Imagination can be both a blessing and a curse.  It's a blessing to the creatives of the World, those who take what they dream and allow us a peak, blessing our lives in return.  Where would we be if J.K. Rowling, Gene Roddenberry, Walt Disney, Da Vinci, etc, never let us into their imagined Worlds?  Einstein even said, "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."

Then there's the debilitating side to having an imagination. The ability to see, but paralyzed to act.  Life is lived through the fictitious imaginings of the soul, creating a sense of false love and hope.  Existing between two lives: One open; the other silent.  Both hallow.

Walter Mitty, in the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, has an imagination characterized by the second.  When Walter realizes he hasn't lived a notable life, he imagines himself flying into a building and saving a dog before explosion strikes.  Many of his zoned-out fantasies are Epic, and the special-effects/transitions in the film are equally so.

His actual life may seem mundane, but it's still rewarding, just without any taken risks.  Walter Mitty has faithfully worked for years behind-the-scenes of Life magazine, taking loving care with the photography.  It's a labor of love that he performs well, until the magazine goes out of print, and he loses frame 25 for the final cover.  Walter bravely embarks on a journey to find this missing photo, and thus learns to live.

When one door closes another opens.

I found this movie both beautiful and moving, swept away by the story and cinematography.  Rarely does a movie have great character development, and this movie has it in spades.  We travel with Walter Mitty, played perfectly by Ben Stiller, wishing him the best, hoping he'll overcome the worst.  The supporting cast is equally strong: Kristen Wiig, Kathryn Hahn, Terence Bernie Hines, Shirley MacLaine, and Sean Penn.

And I have to comment on the soundtrack composed by Theodore Shapiro and José González.  I love it!!  This is one of the strongest soundtracks I've heard in a long time.  From the openning title sequence I was swept up by the music, delightfully aware, but not at all distracted.  The uplifting orchestration complimenting.

Oh, and I almost forgot!  The use of lettering and text used throughout the film was fun and creative.  Blending into the scenes in an amusing, but interesting way.

If you're in the mood for an escapist film, this movie is perfect.

. . . I love the soundtrack.  Listening to it now :0)

MPAA: Rated PG for some crude comments, language and action violence.