The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

I know I read the short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, by James Thurber sometime during middle or high school. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It is the story of a man taking a shopping trip with his wife but who continuously gets distracted with vivid fantasies where he is involved in or doing amazing things. I think if you asked my wife, she would say I am a lot like Walter in that I am often lost in a book or game. In 2013, Ben Stiller starred in the latest adaptation of the story based on a screenplay by Steve Conrad.

I am a bit hit or miss with Ben Stiller movies. I have really enjoyed movies like Along Came Polly, the first Night at the Museum and Mystery Men while others have fallen flat for me. I was interested in seeing how The Secret Life of Walter Mitty would turn out as the trailers had me thinking that the special effects might be way over the top. Luckily for us all, the actual movie was much better than I was expecting.

In the story, Walter Mitty (Stiller), works at Life magazine managing photograph negatives and has been tasked with prepping the cover shot for the final issue. Unlike the original short story, this Walter Mitty is single and love lorn, quiet and reserved but just as prone to daydreams. This is where the over-the-top special effects come in as we are whisked between Walter's real life and his imaginary one. Enter a really horrible take-over manager at the magazine who chooses to pick on Walter when he is found staring blankly off in his own dream world. What follows is the search for the negative and Walter's own character arc from dreamer to doer.

The character arc for Walter is one of the best parts of the movie, followed by his interactions with Patton Oswalt's character, Todd. Kristen Wiig also plays his co-worker and potential love interest and is very subdued and good in the role. Another good part of the film is the smooth transition Walter takes from dreaming to doing that at first leaves you wondering is he dreaming this or is it really happening. Some of the early dream sequences are almost laughably overdone, but then subtly things change and you are left with a somewhat poignant, possibly predictable story of Walter's journey. If you haven't checked this movie out, you should go ahead and rent it right now. I give The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 4 Mick Happies. Now I am off to my fantasy land or in other words, Path of Exile.