I am SO HAPPY that I'm not the only one who thinks the same about this movie. I don't usually like Ferrell's acting, but this movie is... astounding. It's all amazing.

I absolutely love this film. Dustin's speech about how some other death would play out if Harold escaped this one, delivered with such monotony yet compassion and it breaks my heart every time.

I agree, Harold showing up at the bakery with “flours” for Anna is probably the squishiest squish that ever squished. 🥰

Could not agree more. Easily Will Farrell's best movie. This is one of the rare movies I've continued to think back on after seeing it.

Emma Thompson's performance in this movie is outstanding, specially in the scene in which she's writing the ending of the novel.

This is one of my top 3 movies period. The flours scene was one of the most romantic movie moments I have ever seen. I am not a fan of Will Ferrel in general. But this movie made me realize just how good he really is. There wasn't a bad performance in the whole movie, and the chemistry between him and Maggie surprised me. It was genuine and heartfelt and the ending made me cry. So glad to see it get some love that it so richly deserves.

Harold being the first to contact Karen, ultimately coming to terms with the ending she wrote for him, makes me wonder about the others Karen mourned for ending with her books. As she said, 'It's a book about a man who doesn't know he's going to die, then dies, but if he knows and goes on willingly, that's the sort of life you want to save.' I wonder if Harold is the only one who managed to outlive her book is because Harold decided to change his life and make it worth living. He spent however many years running to get the same bus, tying his tie in a half Windsor to save time, eating and living alone, before getting caught up as the protagonist of some unknown story, ultimately deciding to claim a life not confined by structure and repetition, but love and connections. I cannot thank you enough for reminding me how much I live this movie and I hope you have a fabulous evening. Thank you.

I remember renting this movie from my local library when I was quite young, probably 10 or so. We rented a lot of romantic comedies since that was my Mom’s favorite genre, and this one took us completely off guard. In fact it was the first movie to ever make me cry. I’ve loved tragicomedies ever since, and this one was even better than I remembered it when I rented it again through streaming recently. I’m glad it’s finally getting some recognition.

Finally, I found someone else who thinks the world of this movie! Every time I watch this movie, the scene towards the end after Harold has read the ending of his life / Karen's book, I tear up-I've watched this movie every year at least once since it came out, and it never fails to make me tear up at that scene. It's just such effective writing, performance, and subtle direction-all at once. It's just brilliant!

Yes! Thank you so much! I loved this movie but it seems that nobody has seen it or very few people. It is one of these movies that star an actor we all see somwhere else and we kinda don't like because it's always the same but these movies are gold. Same with "Crazy Stupid Love" for Steve Carell, "The Secret Lives of Walter Mitty" for Ben Stiller. These movies are the quintessence of genius writing and great acting. But for some reasons people havn't seen this movies. So thank you for you video, deeply. Can't wait for more :)

i watched this with my family because we couldn’t find anything to watch and still now i’m wondering why no one has heard of it because it has to be one of the best written stories recently, thanks for this video

"So little did I know that by rewatching this movie I would ending up finding this great essay about it."

You absolutely nailed this review. I am a huge fan of many genres of film and someone who is quite indecisive when picking a “favorite”.. but among all of my top films this one has to be the ONE that I can call my favorite. The attention to detail, brilliant dialogue, and phenomenal performances from a perfect cast are just a few of the reasons this film is so highly regarded by me. It truly is unfortunate that this didn’t get nearly the recognition it deserves, however it is exciting in a way when you meet someone else who has seen it and appreciates it. As you said, it’s a hidden gem and absolutely worthy of Oscar nominations if not wins. Explaining to someone that knows good film, but has not seen this, that my favorite film is a Will Ferrell movie gets quite a reaction every time.. but again, his performance is nothing shy of perfection. Thank you for taking the time to break this down and give it some love. Well done.

I saw this in theaters when it first came out because my Dad also thought it was the standard fare for Will Ferrell (standard farell?). Even as a kid I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't anything like Talladega Nights, which was my favorite movie at the time. I recently rewatched it and the flours and tax man scene still hold up very well.

I’m so glad someone is talking about this film. I also have owned it on dvd since it was released. I am not a fan of Will Farrell’s brand of comedy, I always say this is pretty much his only movie I like because he’s actually acting, & quite well. And yes, the supporting cast is just amazing. I keep trying to get other people to watch it & it can be difficult to describe, so I’m glad I can share this video now to help convince people.

This movie kind of fucked me up when I saw it when I was younger but in such an excellent way. I already was pretty bold as a kid but I kept the boldness up into my adulthood in part because of how much this movie made me think about death - every time I brush my teeth. I worried I'd dreamt it because I'd forgetten the name of it so thank you for this video, will definitely go rewatch it.

I have waited years for someone good at video essays to cover this film. Very nice and thank you

I saw this movie when it came out with my brothers and their friend not knowing what to expect (I was not a fan of Will Ferrell movies especially back then) and came out a changed person. I must have seen it at least 12 times by now. I never tire of it. Easily in my top 10 favorite movies of all time. Thank you for bringing this movie to light, it NEEDS to be seen by more people. Simply a wonderful movie.

This movie saved my life in highschool. It's really beautiful to see so many people appreciate it. I'm not alone :)

I don't believe in "favourite things" but every time somebody asks me about my favourite movie "Stranger than fiction" pops in my head, exactly for the reasons you listed. Thank you

I love this movie. It’s absolutely beautiful in every way.

I love that others have noticed the subtle genius of this movie too. Anyone else notice the foreshadowing on the lifeguard chair? On professor Hilbert’s lifeguard chair, the word “paragon” can be seen foreshadowing his importance in the story. Which he is. For those that don’t know, a paragon is someone who leads others to be the best of themselves. Or atleast to make good decisions. Good examples would be Cpt. America, (animated) Superman, and Aang from “Avatar: the last airbender”. Professor Hilbert is the one who convinces Harold to accept his death and he went along with Harold’s craziness. Professor totally could of told Harold to go back to his therapist. He didn’t though. He had lots of skepticism, but he went along with things. This movie is so absolutely amazing for all the details we’ll never remember. Atleast for me, because I’m basically real life ten second Tom 😂

This film is one of those little things that were placed here to save our lives, like wristwatches and Bavarian sugar cookies. So brilliant. So timeless.

THIS and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty are two of my favourite movies of all time.

That I brought you flours scene is amazing. One of the greatest and romantic puns ever.

Love that you used clips from Archer in the beginning :D Great review as always!

Fantastic advocacy for one of the finest films in existence. The guitar scene is sweet, passionate, and unexpectedly musical. Will Ferrell’s voice is surprising, and Maggie Gyllenhaal is surprised to find herself in love. In an added layer, I think that Wreckess Eric’s song itself, Whole Wide World, is overlooked as one of the best early punk anthem’s in music history. My recommendation for another underrated masterpiece: Children of Men, starring Clive Owen.

I caught this movie towards the end of it theatrical run and was blown away on how good it was. Its one of my favorite movies of all time and love the fact you do as well. Great video.

Just the sort of loving and smart examination and review this jewel of a film deserves! Well done!

I remember my friend recommending me to watch this film. I wasn't expecting much given Will Ferrell's oeuvre at the time. And yet, it was such a nuanced, poignant, heartfelt performance by Will Ferrell. Who would've thought!? Every time I think about this film, I get the warm fuzzies. And yes, buying 'flours' for your love interest... The best!!

I was fortunate enough to watch this in the theaters when it was released and I just fell in love with it then.

I absolutely adore this movie! It's one of my favorites. The writing is phenomenal, the premise is hilarious and tragic, and every actor is 100% spot on. I agree that this and other movies like it are why I'm a hopeless romantic lol. I'd love an episode on Dan in Real Life (another fave in similar vein but not on quite the same stunning level). So glad I found your channel, I'm a writer and I love film dissections like this. Always looking for movies I've forgotten about to rewatch, and this made my day. Thank you!

Oh man, I remember going around and gushing about this movie to my friends and family circa 2007. Glad it’s still getting some of the credit it deserves.

This movie is my all-time favorite. I am so grateful to have found your video essay after a rewarch inspired by recommending the film to a friend. Great work! This film has served as a reminder of what truly makes life important whenever I need it. Life is so short, and I love the throughline of truly living your life in whatever circumstances. Hella under-rated.

I watch this movie at least once every year. It delights me in a way no other film has. A big-hearted reminder of the beauty of writing, film, and small joys in life.

Just watched this for the first time in 18 years. It’s more brilliant than I remembered 😢❤

I frequently rewatch the guitar store scene on UKposts. And as UKposts does, it recommended this video. I didn’t think anyone felt as strongly about this movie as I do. Your review is spot on! Thank you.

Thank you thank you thank you for making this video on my favorite movie! I binge watched all of your videos after your incredibly insightful videos on Arcane, and you did a fantastic job of expressing what I adore about this movie. Every video has been so eloquent and I'm impatiently waiting to devour your next video. :⁠-⁠D

I have come across your channel through a video on Silco from Arcane (which was quite good!) Then I scrolled through a few other videos of yours to find this hidden gem: OH MY GOD, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. Stranger than Fiction is absolutely among my favorite movies and when I think about the fact that almost no one has watched it I get quite mad. You analyzed the movie so exquisitely I almost got envious of your writing skills, lol (although I think you should've praised Emma Thompson performance too, which is terrific). Thank you so much for making this video, I know it isn't much but you've earned yourself a subscriber! Keep being awesome and keep making videos, because you are definitely good at it. Sooner or later a video of yours will blow up and you'll get the attention you deserve.

Just found your Post here and had to reply. My son came to me years ago and said I had to see this great movie he had just seen. I asked him who is in it. He told me and I promptly told him "I can't stand Will Ferrell movies and no way would I waste my time and money on one of his films" He went away very disappointed. My wife, overhearing the exchange, reminded me that Eric(my son) was actually really good at knowing the movies I would enjoy, I should consider this. Feeling bad at my reaction to him, I went to see the movie. OMG.I could not believe what I saw. First, this was NOT a "Will Ferrell" movie. He simply was the star in it. Secondly, he was simply MAGNIFICENT in this role ! I agree with 100%. No question, the finest performance he has EVER turned in BEFORE or SINCE ! I love this film. I also know why it didn't do well in theaters. It was because Will Ferrell was the lead (stay with me) People who dislike his films (like me) skipped it. And people who really like his comedy, skipped it because it wasn't his typical sophomoric, brainless potty humor, So everyone missed, what you acurately describe as an "Underrated Masterpiece". You are absolutely correct. EVERYONE in this film was just amazing. A Rare mix of perfect writing, perfect casting, and perfectly outstanding execution. I keepa copy of this on my computer at all times, and go back to it frequently. Lastly, I can never get past the scene in her apartment when they tear into each other. Maggie Gyllenhaal became my obsession. Great review, and dead on. Thank you.

I love this movie so much! Thank you for making this! Did you ever notice that in this movie,before Harold has his change where he crazy brushes his teeth, nearly every scene he's framed by a square. Everything has corners and edges, his apartment, Profs office, his work - hard edges. Everything in Anna's bakery is circles - circular windows even. At the end of the movie, when he's laying in traction (a box) it's inside a circular window, another way of demonstrating both that Harold has fundamentally changed and that he and Anna together make that happen. Which really is why it's a rom com if you must put it into a genre. I could go on and on, loved the whole video and your rant about the flours scene is 10000% valid LOL

Maybe THIS isssss why my standards For love are so high!?!? 😂😂😭😭♥️♥️

Excellent video. Subscribed.

Thank god this community exists. This movie is a gem. I agree with everything you've said. Edit: I also happen to be an auditor. Inaccuracies with his job non-withstanding. This is one of my favorite movies of all time.

this is one of my favorite movies! but i have to say, one thing i can always go on a tangent over is the idea that Will Ferrell's performance comes out of nowhere. comedic acting is a skill just like dramatic acting is, and being able to do a big comedic character well is not as easy as people think. consider late-career Adam Sandler; his performances are all the same note, and you could probably switch out his character from Jack & Jill with his character from Grown Ups (or any other switch between his late-career movies) and nothing would really change. meanwhile, consider Buddy the Elf, Ron Burgundy, and Chazz Michael Michaels. yes, the characters are all big, shouty, and broad, but the ways in which they are all those things are different. Buddy is more childlike and innocent, while Ron and Chazz are move vulgar. Burgundy's attempts at professionalism and intellectualism set him apart from Buddy or Chazz. they may seem like similar characters, but you know if you replaced one of them with another, the story would noticeably change. basically, it's quite easy to go big. it's not that hard to shout all your lines. it's harder to create and inhabit a strong character *while* shouting all your lines. what matters most is your commitment to the character and the scene, and you can never say that Ferrell doesn't commit, whether he's on SNL wearing American flag booty shorts or playing a man who knows the narrative of his own story involves his untimely death.

I love the song they used for the scene where Will's character tells the writer that he loved her book. The song used is Horizon Variations by Max Richter.

Absolutely 100% on point! I’ve watched this film dozens of times and it is in my top xx movies of all time… and Iove your review and that you get it! Don’t EVEN get me startes on the soft and subtle glances between Emma and Dustin in the closing scenes where they spark a clear romantic chemistry themselves! Please PLEASE watch and review “The Station Agent” if you haven’t already before… also among the best unsung Masterpieces in this genre of special gems! Cheers! -crisp

I was lucky enough to see this when it first came out and I loved it a ton then. Seeing it again years later it holds up better than ever.

I LOVE this movie! For me, I get blown away by the cast - Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifa, Maggie Gyllenhaal, even Tom Hulce who played Amadeus years ago! I also love the "stick figure" graphics over the images, building the framework for the story. I can see why it bombed. No explosions or car chases or weird aliens, just a solid story with one fantasy premise hopefully to perhaps enchant a few more Harold Cricks.

Great video!

This is a lovely video about a lovely, thoughtful movie. Well done, Flying Walrus and hard agree.

"Flours? You brought me flours?"

this video was great. so great to know i am not alone out here watching movies. you get my subscribe.

Just watched this movie for my philosophy class, definitely has become a new favorite for me.

Spot on bro. We couldn't review it better. The flour and guitar scene man. This movie is genius!

one of my all time favorite!

This is one of my all time favorite movies as well. I didn’t appreciate it growing up, I can probably say I even disliked it, as I was growing up Will Ferrell was my funny man that I loved to see, and I just could not appreciate this at the time. I quickly grew out of this sentiment as my exposure to cinema and movies grew as well. I learned to love this movie and appreciate everything about it. This video is great and explains many of the reasons as to why we hold this film in high regard, however, I think this video failed to mention some of my personal favorite qualities of this film -the cinematography and the production design. From Dave’s apartment and food design, Karen Eiffel’s studio, to Professor Hilberts’ office, many scenes were set in some form of clandestine beauty that I still try to find in other films as well. There are also many beautiful shot in this films as well. I would love to get into that, but I’d rather just tell everyone to watch the movie instead.

This is one of my favorite movies. Although it's hard to beat the ones I grew up with(Ever After, You've Got Mail, and Practical Magic.) I always recommend this movie to people. I hope it eventually becomes a cult classic.

well, now i can say i use this film every semester to introduce narrative theory in my university courses in brasil. thank you, walrus.

Great review.

This movie flies HARD under the radar. This movie is a ten… I wish it was better known :(

If you want an underrated classic that very much matches the feel-good nature of Stranger Than Fiction, I recommend Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I can't believe how good of a film that is, and how basically no one talks about it. Ben really proved that he was an amazing director long before he made Severance

Exactly! Jst rewatched it a couple years ago. I forgot how great it was.

I love this movie. Thank you for covering it in this video. ♥

One of my favorite movies. Sooo under rated and under appreciated. I hits me deep every time. Wish I knew more people who loved movies so I could share this movie with them.

I hardly ever leave comments... but your video is comment worthy. First, what a wonderful job you do in summarizing the movie. I have perhaps stronger feelings than you do about the brilliance of the film, but have never been able to explain it quite this well to friends. As sappy or silly as it sounds, this film changes you - it makes you appreciate the small things, to direct your own life, makes you think more about taking risks... making your life what you want it to be... gives you hope in so many ways.. and makes you think about living every moment.. even the moment you die... in a beautiful way. Thank you for your commentary on this & the Muppet Christmas Carol & I will keep watching. Tim

Fuckin awesome man, just saw this lastnight and damn it is a hidden gem indeed. Very well done here.

Great vid.

I never knew about this movie. Just heard someone recommend it in a stream, and i am pleasantly surprised. It's been played incredibely well also!

I saw this in the theater when it came out, it wasn't what I expected, but I loved it, and still do.

This film connects me with such deep level about existential crisis. It's definitely philosophical and gives us time to speculate.

Thank you

It's kind of absurd just how much our eclectic tastes in TV series, movies and UKposts video series overlap, and obviously, this is no exception. I walked away from this film with questions about the world, like how much control the author in this story exercises over individuals who aren't Harold Crick, though I can't say that those were the focus of my thoughts. It's easily my favorite performance by Will Ferrell in any film, which is strange to say when he's not embracing his quirky sides throughout. I agree that it's mostly a romantic comedy, but I think what makes the film has little to do with the romance or the comedy (though I do love them, particularly the flour scene). It's the existential aspects, taken from the performances of Dustin Hoffman, Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson, that elevates it from more than just a fun romantic comedy with really well-paced lines and pacing. In that respect, I think the focus on Chekov's Gun in this video makes a lot of sense. The emphasis on the lack of distinction between his life and the words on a page (and those that will be written) is fascinating, and though the mechanics of this world are never explained, that's actually far more satisfying. This isn't a neatly contained story. There should be fuzz between the ability to prescribe what happens based on what is written on a page and a person's (mainly Harold Crick's, but everyone around him as well) free will. We shouldn't get a definitive answer, or a definitive mechanism by which something is predestined to occur. It's a beautiful little story full of undervalued performances with a plot that has stuck with me well past finishing. Also, along similar lines (since you didn't mention it), I recommend Ruby Sparks, which has a similar premise but very distinct execution. It's also romantic comedy with less emphasis on the comedy and a lot more on the existential dread of what's occurring as a man literally writes a woman into existence. I wouldn't say I liked it as much as Stranger Than Fiction, but it's also underrated and worth the time to watch.

“The quality _of_ the pancakes” quote is a ringtone on my phone. 😂🥰

I knew Will had this in him. One of my favourite actors. Comedians can do depressed like no other

My favorite film of 2007!

It’s amazing to see someone else love this amazing movie as much as I love it. Thank you!

My theory is that the film we see is actually the final draft of Death and Taxes - Karen rewrote the book to make sense of the ending and keep it true to her style - she still kills her protagonist but notice what else the narration humanises, and how the final narration ends - it ends on the watch. She still kills her protagonist, but this time the watch is her main character.

love this movie, you're absolutely right, so criminally underrated.

I’ve easily seen STF 15 times. It is brilliant.

People always look at me funny when I say that this is my all-time favorite Will Ferrell movie.

I loved Maggie Gyllenhaal in this role too.

It’s a crying shame this didn’t do well in theaters. It’s fabulous. One of my favorites of all time.

Coming to your channel a year later, but lemme add another comment for the algorithm that this movie and your video are great. Also, no idea if this will ever get read, but it would be interesting to do a video comparing the comedic actors and their careers at the point when they decided to do their "serious" movie (Truman Show for Jim Carey, Walter Mitty for Ben Stiller, Punch Drunk Love for Adam Sanders, this one, etc.), because I feel like pretty much all of them are great.

i categorize it as a journey of self discovery with the added strength of romantic comedy. its an amazing story. in the end you can take away the romantic comedy as being a main plot line is when he was okay killing himself for the kid, even though he had her. the guitar scene is my favorite love story. the reason its not a direct comedy is because all tragedy has comedy.

When Karen changes the ending, allowing Harold to live, she asks professor Hilbert what he thought about her revised ending. He said that it was OK, but that the original ending would have been vastly superior from a narrative standpoint. Karen then justified her revision by pointing out that Harold is an honorable man, and the king of prom the world needs. It's a bit of a mind f***, because, even in the context of the story, as a movie and not really (from the character's perspectives) Karen and professor Hilbert'ds conversation, still holds true. Really think about the ending, from both the character's and audience's standing, if Harold had died. Keep in mind that, aside from a bit of humor thrown in here and there (and the kind of roles we expect from Ferrel -- goofy, comical), "Stranger Than Fiction " is NOT A COMEDY. It's a light-hearted drama. If Harold had died, this movie with would have been INTENSE. It really would have been heart-breaking, just as Karen has originally said of her story, before learning Harold was real.

It's that movie that I think maybe they were wondering what the Casting Director is on Will Ferrell being the soft spoken timid Harold Crick, Maggie Gyllenhall, Queen Latifah, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson as the writer if this was any other movie I would say this casting doesn't work, but the Director found a way to work with this cast to near perfection.

I rewatch this film every year along with Man of La Mancha, Gattaca, Arrival, October Sky... Do you detect a pattern?

Indeed one of my favorite movies of all times also. Bought the DVD.. and whenever I put it on, I’d just immediately start laughing knowing all the goodness that was to come. Once I started buying my favorite movies on UKposts where I could never lose a dvd and watch wherever I was in the world, I had to buy this one. Unfortunately, there’s another Stranger Than Fiction title that is a surfing movie and that’s what I ended up with.. fortunately, with some persistence, UKposts support gave me a refund for the purchase and provided a link to the correct movie.. and a coupon for a free rental as well. So yes I am fully satisfied! Little did he know!

The first time I saw this movie, I watched it again the next day. It was intriguing, layered, and brilliantly multi-classed all rolled up into one story. I absolutely loved the scene about the poetic deaths she came up with for the other "books" she "wrote" - the civil engineer dies in a traffic jam via heart attack, the teacher right before summer break, and the taxman - Harold - would have been a living man who was dead to the world that died right as he started to actually live. And you see Karen's attitude about it change right there. Sure, a character dying is tragic, but now she wonders if every death she wrote was some real person. The biggest crime is that the movie isn't available for streaming in the US, probably thanks to Sony's BS or something. It used to be on Netflix, so perhaps you need a VPN to watch it "internationally"

There are only three movies that make me cry (so far). The flower scene here is definitely one of them

This is one of my favorites

My 7th grade 2nd period teacher showed us this, english rocks. ( He has a twitch and showed us a horror short film WITH SWEARING) Loved him.

It is underrated!! This movie is so good!

This movie and "everything everywhere all at once" draws an contemporary line between Camus and a modern take on a absurdism. The morality can come off trite and cheesy - and it's a rare subject to approach in film. Hence only these two films are so many years apart.

I absolutely agree. This IS his best film, full stop. I've said this for years.

So many of my college film classes used this film as an example of how to do great script writing for cinema.

This is my absolute favorite movie. I have a poster for it in my office (along with Walter Mitty, EEAAO, and Grand Budapest)

I love this movie, it's in my top 5 all time favorites. I watch it at least once a year or more. It is definitely UNDERRATED! I know so many people who will not watch this movie because they don't like Will Ferrell.

Will Ferrell plays Lord business in The Lego movie and the opening scenes in The Lego movie are essentially the same as the opening scenes in stranger than fiction which is hilarious and obviously not a coincidence 😁✌️