RUBY SPARKS

US, 2012, 104 minutes, Colour.
Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Aasif Mandvi, Steve Coogan, Deborah Ann Woll, Elliott Gould.
Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.

There have been many films about imaginary friends, even films where a writer’s muse comes alive. This is one of those films. Ruby Sparks is the creation of a young writer, Calvin (Paul Dano), who had success in a novel published in his late teens and has been silent for ten years. Critics are clamouring for his new work.

But, he is something of a recluse, especially in contrast with his over-libidinous brother, Harry (Chris Messina) and his eccentric mother (Annette Bening) who has taken up with a furniture-artist (Antonio Banderas). He is going to a psychologist (a genial performance from Elliot Gould) who urges him to write something, however small. He meets a girl in a park who takes a liking to his dog. He begins to write about her, Ruby Sparks, vividly – and then she is there, alive and sparking in his life. Not only that, his brother and then his mother and others are able to see her and interact with her as normal.

He is rather possessive and discovers that by typing her story, he is able to control her, to speak French, to be angry, to be loving.

A main reason why Zoe Kazan is so believable as Ruby is that she wrote the screenplay herself, doing what Calvin is doing in the film, giving her a rich and varied life, which she as screenwriter, can control.

At this stage, while watching the film, and its picture of bringing a person to life, of having control, of creating in one’s own image and likeness (or not), the screenplay was suggesting far more than the life of a creative writing. The emphasis was on creation – and, what is lightly called, ‘playing God’. There was in old philosophy curricula a course called Theodicy, a reflective course on the meaning of life and the possibilities of God (rather than Theology which is an exploration of revelation about God). This film would be an intellectual-emotional illustration of issues of playing God (or whether God’s creatures are endowed with free will and can choose their destinies and behaviour even if it is not what the creator intended and hoped for).

So, the film took on new meaning over and above the entertainment value of watching a writer and his creation and personal dilemmas.

Paul Dano often specialises in sad sack characters, like the non-talking young man in the directors’ previous Little Miss Sunshine) or in his eventual confronting of Daniel Day Lewis in There Will be Blood. This suits the film. We sympathise with Calvin but not overly. It is more interesting thinking about the implications of what he is doing in creating Ruby Sparks.

1. The impact of the film? Offbeat? Imaginative? Philosophical? Written by the star, Zoe Kazan?

2. The blend of the real and the surreal, magic realism?

3. Calvin, his world, young and successful, ten years later, the American novel? Writer’s block? His agent, the reading? The fans, the signings? The discussions about what he would do next? Harry, the relationship, his support? Calvin as awkward, loner, apart, few social graces – and the references to J.D. Salinger?

4. Dr Rosenthal and his sessions, the genial listening to Calvin, the counsellor, therapist, the suggestion of the exercise in writing a page? Calvin reporting back? Dr Rosenthal recurring during the film, supporting Calvin?

5. Calvin and his dream, the dog, the park, the encounter with the young woman, talking, her understanding him, sharing?

6. Calvin waking, writing the page hurriedly, his talking to Harry, Harry and his girlfriend? Harry and his permissive and emphasis on sex approach to life, the contrast with Calvin?

7. The character of Harry, his sexual preoccupations, his love for his brother, continued support, the meetings, the meals, Harry and his faux pas? The girlfriend? The discussions about Ruby?

8. Calvin, discovering the women’s clothes in his apartment, finding Ruby in the kitchen, her cooking? Literally creative writing? The nature of creative writing and creation? Ruby as a projection, male fantasy? Psychologic, (**??) Calvin’s Anima, the challenge of the Anima? Ruby’s personality, capacity for relating, her being positive, the meals, cooking, speaking French? Calvin continuing to write? Ruby and her meeting with Harry, Harry’s amazement? Ruby existing in the real world?

9. Ruby, her own life, her socialising, her background not being filled in, her not remembering her past? Talking, at home, the social and nobody with her? her being upset? Assessing her life? Calvin, his love, the relationship, yet ignoring her at the party? Ruby becoming more desperate?

10. The importance of the visit to his mother, her character, art and style, breezy, references to her children, her former husband? Mort, his supporting Gertrude? Breezy attitudes? Discussions with Calvin? The furniture – and the gift, Calvin’s reluctance?

11. The growing difficulties, Calvin and his being a puppeteer, yet his creation wanting her freedom? His changing her by writing and typing, speaking French, her moods, erratic behaviour, arguing, tied up, his making her affirm him?

12. How well did Calvin develop as a personality, in his relationship with Ruby – or in his simply projecting? His relationship with his ex-girlfriend and encounter with her?

13. The decision to let Ruby go? His regrets? The rather twee ending and meeting the same girl on the beach – and her partly recognising him?

14. The agent, urging Calvin to write? Cyrus Modi and his influence? The range of people in Calvin’s life, though limited?

15. The film and its theme of creativity, the philosophical implications, the ‘playing God’, the creator as puppeteer, the control? The characters not wanting to be controlled, rebelling, the theme of human freedom? An allegory for humanity in its relationship with God? The blend of creative writing, psychological dimensions, philosophical and theological implications?