The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Film Review & Oscar Snub Debate - FuTurXTV & HHBMedia - 1-22-2014

1

Walter Mitty: 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.

Sean O'Connell: Beautiful things don't ask for attention.

Ben Stiller directs and stars in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY,

James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous

life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and

action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are

threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global

journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he

could have ever imagined. - Written by 20th Century Fox

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY FILM REVIEW & OSCAR SNUB DEBATE 1-22-2014 1-22-2014 - Written By: David L. $Money Train$ Watts Journalist/Film Reviewer

FuTurXTV & HHBMedia.com - David Velo Stewart Editor HHBMedia.com - $$$$$

I want to say upfront that I was actually daydreaming about being watching the sun set

on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii before I started writing about one of the best day dreaming

and escapist film fantasy flicks ever in Ben Stillers The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

And one of the best and one of my favorite films that feature a lead character that

spends a lot of his time on screen drifting away from the real world to his private and

special fantasy world of endless possibilities is the 1963 classic Billy Liar. I love Billy

Liar because I am that same imaginative and restless creative type that at any given

moment can be transported to an alternate universe to do impossible thing I imagine.

David L. $Money Train$ Watts FuTurXTV HHBMedia.com [email protected] www.hhbmedia.com David Velo Stewart

2

So when I first heard that Stiller was doing his own or modern version of Danny Kayes

1947 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty I could not wait to see it. Now to be fair Dannys

Walter Mitty is more of an old fashioned daydreaming bumbler that wishes to be a hero

and then suddenly gets a chance to be a globe trekking real hero. But Stiller added to

that premise and basically made in my opinion a more natural or highly believable new

character of Walter as a negative assets manager for Life magazine. One can easily

surmise how someones conscious and subconscious mind could be overwhelmed;

when that same person has spent a lot of professional life looking at the most fantastic

photos from the worlds most interesting and dangerous places. When we first see

Walter in the film we are seeing a Walter who can no longer control his mental urges or

obsessions with escaping reality. A police siren in the distance, a woman crossing the

street with groceries or even a minor traffic accident or actually practically anything

remotely routine or ordinary is an excuse for Walter to trip out and imagine himself as a

hero or going on a high stakes adventure. Walter is so engrossed in his day dreams that

he will miss a train he has been waiting to go to work or at work he will miss walking into

an open elevator door to go to his floor. And Walters spasmodic ventures into his

imaginary worlds is so blatant that he cannot even get a cup of coffee without his co-

workers giggling watching him stand motionless with a blank stare on his face. Walter

even turns one of his new bosses and tormentors Ted Hendricks, a bearded Adam

Scott from Parks & Rec, into a major street fight fantasy scene as they fight with super

heroic powers and amazing stunts over the possession of a Stretch Armstrong doll.


3

The one saving grace or tangible element of sanity that forces Walter to occasionally

snap out of his comical and imaginative delusions is his secret love for another co-

worker, Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig). The attempts of Walter being a possible loser is

expressed smartly in the fact that when Walter tries to complete his eHarmony dating

profile that is bare of life experiences. A wonderful side note and bonus in Walter Mitty

is the Her like relationship that develops between Walter and Todd his eHarmony

coach, who is played with a lot of depth and introspective nerdy-dating humor by Patton

Oswalt. I even like the fact the film takes its time to develop the love story between

Walter and Kristen and Stiller wisely lets Kristen play a low key and non-comedic role

than the wacky and exciting SNL and Bridesmaids version of Kristen that folks love.

Some other small, but standout performances in Walter Mitty was Sean Penn playing

the larger-than-life Life photographer Sean O Connell. When Walter finally does meet

up with Sean in the Himalayas patiently hiding in camo gear to get a shot of a very

rare snow leopard. By the time Walter meets his idol Sean we no longer are looking at

the daydreaming wannabe Walter at the films start. And symbolically Walter does not

feel the need to drift off into anymore imaginary worlds because he has finally become

the person he has always wanted to be since he was a teenager when his dad died.


4

And I have to give a shot out to lafur Darri lafsson who gave an extremely amusing

performance as a drunk and wasted Greenland helicopter pilot. This was a delight to

watch as Walter vacillated a lot about risking his life to forever change his life. Walter

jumping on that small and shaky helicopter was the making of a brave man. And I

have to mention the only real person of color who had a significant speaking role was

Adrian Martinez who played Hernando who was sort of Walters pseudo-best friend and

co-worker. Adrian has been on my cinema radar since he had a standout performance

in Will Ferrells Casa de mi Padre (2012). And Adrian is also in American Hustle as

well as Walter Mitty, so this by far has to be a breakout year for this solid new actor.

I really do not want to recite all the best scenes of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

because that would actually spoil or take away a lot of the joy of discovering those

scenes yourself when you see the film the first time. What I can say is that this one of

Ben Stillers best films he has ever acted in or directed. I think because he is a

comedian first and then became a more serious actor/director that a lot of film critics

overlooked this film. I mean it took a lot of skill and patience to make Walter evolve from

a daydreaming gadfly to an actual real adventurer who conquered his fears and doubts

by striking out the globe to find his hero and elusive photographer This was a highly

challenging film to make from the dual real and fantasy scenes, the detailed production

design, global locations, multiple special effects and the delicate balance that had to be

maintained in the film between Walters real and imagined emotions. I seriously think if

the Oscar voters last year could give Ang Lee Best Director for another equally escapist

fantasy film like The Life of Pi, then I think those same voters should have nominated

Ben Stiller for an Oscar this year as well. And Walter Mitty could have easily got

nominated for Oscars this year for Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best

Production, Best Original Screenplay and Best Visual Effects. If I Oscar voters would be

forced to cut a nominated director to make room for Stiller then I would say Nebraskas

Alexander Payne would get the ax because America Hustle, Gravity and 12 Years a

Slave are going to dominate the 2014 Oscars. I dont think anyone in Nebraska has

even seen or cares about Nebraska. Despite the fact that I personally think Ben Stiller

got snubbed this year at the Oscars, I am beyond certain that he has set himself up for

getting an Oscar nomination as best actor and best director in the upcoming years if he

keeps making great films like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The films quirky motto

of Loves photos of the worldnever travels" is what makes The Secret Life of Walter

Mitty worth my Money Train FuTurXTV & HHBMedia.com film review rating of $$$$$.


5


Documents

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Film Review & Oscar Snub Debate - FuTurXTV & HHBMedia - 1-22-2014