STRANGER THAN FICTION
US, 2006, 113 minutes, Colour.
Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson.
Directed by Marc Forster.
I could offer a very Jungian explanation of why a large number in the audience may well not enjoy Stranger than Fiction – this is a film which expounds and illustrates some literary and psychological theories – but in the vein of the film, it is better to offer them obliquely. The screenplay, full of cultural and cerebral jokes, wants the audience to do the work. The film is one of those entertaining fantasies (filmed and played as if it were realistically happening). It is full of intuitive leaps that are not always immediately logical. And just as if we were getting a handle on it all, off it goes again. Which means that it is an intuitive’s delight.
A couple of years ago, Dustin Hoffman appeared in I Love Huckabees which was billed as an existential comedy. Stranger than Fiction, again with Hoffman, could be described in the same way. There is some light philosophising about identity, some more serious philosophising about facing death.
Will Ferrell submerges all his zany instincts (Ricky Bobby, Anchorman, The Producers) and gives an excellently subdued performance as a quiet, unimaginative tax officer who begins hearing a voice describing everything that he does, even anticipating what he will do. The voice is that of Emma Thompson in her precise British best. We quickly discover that Ferrell is the central character in Thompson’s new novel. But she has writer’s block (though reluctantly accepting the assistant (Queen Latifah) imposed on her by her publishers) as she tries to imagine how she will kill off this character.
When Ferrell realises what is happening and gets sympathetic but not helpful advice from psychologists (Tom Hulce and Linda Hunt), he consults a literature professor (Dustin Hoffman) who explores his dilemma with him, trying to work out whether he is in a comedy or a tragedy. In the meantime, Ferrell slightly lets himself go as he is attracted to a cookie baker (Maggie Gylenhaal) who does not pay all her taxes, only the percentage of money that is put to uses she approves of.
Will the character discover who the author is? Will she satisfactorily kill him off? Will this have an emotional effect on her? What will the professor finally advise? All this – and more are explored and answered.
Working on a happy ending (comedy or tragedy) challenges the presuppositions of authors and critics alike. It always seems ‘better’, ‘purer’, ‘more noble’ to many critics to have an unhappy ending – with a touch or more of irony if possible. But, do authors and critics really want to go home to unhappy and tragic families in fact? How many of us want the artistically satisfying tragic ending in real life? So, why not happiness, emotions, sentiment at the end of a novel, play or film? Listening to Emma Thompson speaking on all of this is a nicely critical challenge.
Very well acted, the stars at their best, wittily written by Zach Helm and artfully directed by Swiss Marc Forster (unpredictable as he also directed the diverse Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland), it may be a bit tedious for Jungian Sensing types but stimulating for Jungian intuitives.
1. Critical acclaim? Awards? The blend of fantasy and reality? Fantasy presented as reality? Entertaining, stimulating?
2. The Chicago city settings, Harold and his apartment, the streets, workplace? The buses, the streets, the bakery, the apartments? Karen’s imagination for the deaths – of buildings, of bridges? The musical score? The lyrics and the relevance?
3. The title, truth and fiction, Mark Twain and his comment on truth – but fiction offering more possibilities?
4. The characters, the names of various mathematicians? The importance of mathematics, numbers, formulas? The illustrations over the credits, over some of the action, giving statistics and figures?
5. The tradition of stories about authors and their creations coming alive, the interaction between authors and characters?
6. Karen’s narrative, Emma Thompson’s particularly British tones, the literary style, clarity of prose, her voice and tone, her story about Harold’s watch, the importance of the watch throughout the film? Resetting the watch – and the final climax? Harold and his hearing her voice, looking around, her flow being interrupted? The real Karen, at her typewriter, writer’s block, imagining the various ways of death – on top of the building, the car crashing into the river?
7. Will Ferrell as Harold, a quiet performance, reactions rather than action? Waking up in the morning, his watch, the time, the number of times he brushed his teeth, dressing, eating, arrival at the bus stop, checking the time, the workplace, greeting people, their asking him to multiply figures? Work, files, taxes? His friendship with David, the lunch break, the careful use of time, leaving alone, at home alone?
8. His concern about the voice, the interruptions, asking the woman at the bus stop about the voice? Checking with David? His visits to the doctors, his explanations, their disbelief, the literary connection? Going to Professor Hilbert? Dustin Hoffman’s style? Hilbert and his lack of interest, being arrested by the phrases, explaining the number of courses that he had taught, further discussions, the list of questions for Harold? Whether he was in a comedy or a tragedy? Harold and his self-reflection? His list, marking off the possibilities?
9. The visit to the doctor, the suggestion of the holiday, his relaxing, the demolition of his apartment – the wrong one? His watching Mr Creosote in Monty Python and The Meaning of Life? The discussions with David, moving in, lifestyle, Karen’s commentary about his being at home with David? The discussions about David wanting to go to space camp?
10. The visit to Anna, the bakery, her clientele, the personal clashes with her, her refusal to pay the percentage of taxes, her believing in anarchy? Baking, the cookies? The arguments? Her wanting to provoke him? His staring at her and her reaction? His later reflections on her? The visit, the pursuit, on the bus, her fall? His apology? His spending the day looking at her documents, her deliberately putting them in a mess? Feeling sorry for him, asking him about cookies and milk, getting him to eat a cookie, the relationship? The sexual relationship? His visits to her apartment, watching A Man and a Woman and Francis Lai’s music?
11. The visits to Professor Hilbert, Harold and his interest, enjoying them, Hilbert and his enjoyment? The discussions, hearing the voice on the television, seeing Karen? Recognising her? His rushing to the publisher, trying to get her address? Going to the office, the tax returns, finding her, visiting her?
12. Karen and writer’s block, nothing for ten years, standing on the top of the building, the car crash and the bridge? The fact that she had to kill Harold? That she had killed all her central characters in her novels? The ten years block? Her manner, erotic, smoking cigarettes, putting them out in the tissue? Penny’s arrival, the confrontation, her reluctance to accept Penny?
13. Penny, in herself, her work, the publishers, guarding Karen, a strong presence? The meeting with Harold?
14. Harold and the manuscript, Karen and her not having typed it? His taking it away to read, giving it to Professor Hilbert, the professor enjoying it, Karen typing it? The issue of art and life? Hilbert and his thinking that it could not be changed, that Harold had to die, had to make the sacrifice? Harold, reading the manuscript, accepting this?
15. Harold and his last day, getting up, dressed, the bus, the difficulty with the watch and the time? Audiences having seen the boy in Karen’s imagining of the deaths, his causing accidents? Harold and his reaching out to save him, hit by the bus? In hospital?
16. The boy, his father, getting him safe and sound?
17. Harold, his survival, Karen and her reaction, the professor and his accepting the ending? The discussions about comedy and tragedy, happy endings? Anna and her visit? Harold and his surviving?
18. A film about death and taxes? About literature? About creativity and writer’s block? About literary professionals? The challenge to critics who like unemotional and sad and tragic endings – and Harold’s survival and happy ever after?
