The film follows the story of an employee called Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) at LIFE’s magazine. He’s in charge of the negatives films that are to be developed as images for the magazine. Walter is quite the ordinary guy who knows about the average happiness, however he is quite the dreamer, for he usually zones-out and lives daydreaming scenarios that contrast with his everyday routine. This is not fantasy story of a daydreamer that is disconnected from reality. It is but an ordinary tale of a man who gets closer to himself by the end of his journey. There is an excellent cinematographic contrast between Walter’s dream life and ordinary life. With reality being silent sometimes at such a point that it’s awkward and the dream moments where the music pumps up your excitement. The dialogue seems cheesy and the images are sublime during these dream moments. I have read a lot of critics concerning the screenplay and the script that could improve. I’d like to say they are right, but then doesn’t that go to everything else as well ? There is always room for improvement but then would it still be the same story ? These dialogues that seem vague and those scenes that sometimes doesn’t seem right contribute a lot to the progression of the movie. I personally think the movie is fine as it is, it already does a great job in conveying its story.
*Spoilers ahead*
I really appreciate the protagonist’s evolution. The character could have stayed in his fantasies forever or broken out of it with pain and difficulty. But it was different with Walter Mitty, the dream’s purpose changes as the story advances. They are simple fantasy in the beginning but then the first change occurs as Walter’s sitting in the bar in Greenland and Cheryl starts singing Bowies’ song Space Oddity. Walter is indeed imagining that but he wasn’t zoning out for he lived his imagination and ran to the helicopter for real. Then the moment he fell into water and was being attacked by a shark, he was even doubting the moment’s reality. He then realizes the moment was really true. From that moment on, music kicks in as Walter is fully determined to apply an idea of his. Finally he’s able to live memorable events.
If a life lesson was given to Walter as well as to the public for what one wants to receive, it was about enjoying life. Imagination can be as sweet as it can be bitter. Think of the bad-ass dream life of Walter at the beginning but also remember Walter’s imagination shutting himself from the opportunity to start a relationship with Cheryl because he imagined a scenario where she re-conciliated with her ex-lover. Where an alternate version to that could have been that Cheryl quit the dating website because she met Walter and she responded to no winks although she would have if she had received Walter’s wink. Imagining scenarios is not bad but reality is still an alternate version of that story. All that has to be done to enjoy everyday life is to simply step up and live it the way we see it. That’s the progress Walter has made : living up to his expectations.
Does reality and dream really have to be opposed ? Walter’s relation to Sean made me think that they are complementary. Sean Penn is playing another great role as Sean O’Connell. This man is the one who’s capturing the photos, the one who’s living the moment. And it’s just so great that he doesn’t make Walter inferior to him for Walter is the man who knows what to make of these pictures. Their job are complementary. Short thought on Sean, the moment he’s trying to take a picture of the snow leopard is gold. Why waste time capturing a moment when the ephemeral can only be enjoyed for a limited time ?
Interpreting the movie on a larger scale led me to admire the message given through the metaphor of the magazine’s name : LIFE. Sean and Walter’s role are as complementary in the magazine’s production as dream and reality are complementary in life. Sean respected Walter’s work for he said Walter knew about LIFE (both the magazine and life) because he understands the motto : “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life”. You can sit back and watch your life emotionless or you could do as Walter on Sean negative #25 : Life is about how you treat the different frames of your existence. The different optical adjustments probably referring to different vision we can have. The ending sums up Walter’s quest. The answer he seeks was himself from the beginning. Life is what you make of it not anyone else.
*End of spoiler*
I was also questioning myself as to whether there was a message from the film writer’s about the name of the magazine becoming LIFE ONLINE ? Is it a reminder of the magazine’s motto in an era where we are locking ourselves in virtual fantasies ; where expectations, true love, authentic happiness, boundless joy are shown through numerical medias as pure ideals that will remain unattainable ? Regardless of whether this was one of the movie’s message or not, I want to remind you, myself, to continue to appreciate life even if relationships, culture and learning exists more and more through internet. Thanks for reading up to this point ! Enjoy ! 😉
Movie Melody 