Musings: Stranger Than Fiction

Santa brought me this movie for Christmas, which became an immediate favorite after it reached the top of the Netflix queue. For one thing, it's a fanciful view of the life of a writer, and for another, it's an examination about the relationship between life and art (truth being, after all, "stranger than fiction").

In short: Harold Crick, an IRS auditor, begins hearing a narration of his mundane life, down to the number of strokes he takes while brushing his teeth. With help, he finally identifies his narrator as Karen Eiffel, a well-known author, who is writing a book with a central character named Harold Crick. He also realizes she's planning to kill him.

First off, props to Zach Helm for such a wonderful screenplay. In two hours, we get a discussion of the nature of comedy and tragedy, coincidence, responsibility, writer's block, cookies, anarchy, life, love, and yes, even death and taxes (the title of Karen Eiffel's book in progress). It has comic and tragic and even heroic moments. As a bonus, it's beautifully cast (who knew Will Ferrell had it in him?), and the art direction is right on the mark. Karen Eiffel, the blocked writer, is a chain-smoking neurotic, barefoot, wearing a stupendously ugly cardigan. Emma Thompson plays her without makeup! I'd like to know who's been spying on me--excepting the cigarettes, of course.

Helm's written some great lines, too. My favorite bit takes place in a guitar shop. Harold's trying to pick a guitar that suits him best; they all have something to say about themselves, like the Gibson Les Paul that says, "When I get back to Georgia, that woman gonna feel my pain." (He ends up taking home a surf blue Fender Stratocaster.) But there are plenty of little moments to admire throughout.

Stranger Than Fiction has a little something for everyone: the writer, the romantic, the pragmatist, the mathematician (all that counting!), the English teacher, the cynic, the poet, and the dreamer. Is it a perfect film? No. But for its wit, and for totally understanding the concept of writer's block, it's a must-see.