The Secret Life of Walter Mitty *** (2013, Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Sean Penn, Adam Scott) – Movie Review

Ben Stiller directs, produces and stars in a pleasing but flawed, underachieving remake of the 1947 Danny Kaye film of James Thurber’s classic short story of a day-dreamer who escapes his dull, routine life as a Life magazine photo-journalist by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action.

With Life abandoning actual issues and going over to digital virtual magazines on the internet, Mitty’s job, and his co-worker Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig)’s, are under threat of the axe. So Mitty decides to take action in the actual world embarking on a global journey that turns into an extraordinary real adventure. But that doesn’t seem very Walter Mitty of him, does it?

Thurber’s story is left far behind in this civilised, pleasantly entertaining movie with decent performances, amusing fantasy sequences and some impressive CGI to help it along. It is all very mild and low-impact though. Steve Conrad’s screenplay seems uninspired. There aren’t many laughs, unfortunately, but it’s very sincere, well-meaning and likeable enough. The script’s very downhome and schmaltzy but some will find it heart-warming, life-affirming and beautiful.

The film seems slow moving and long running at just under two hours (114 minutes). The old Danny Kaye film isn’t really very well know now, certainly in the UK, but both that and this remake will probably mean more and have stronger appeal to American audiences. Stiller’s version vaguely feels a bit like Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which is spoofed when Mitty claims he has the same condition as Benjamin Button and dreams about it.

Stiller and Wiig are both excellent, giving calm and steady performances, sharing good, low-key, credible chemistry. Shirley MacLaine hams it up tastily as Walter’s old mom Edna, an exceptionally craggy Sean Penn growls impressively as the reclusive photographer Sean O’Connell, but it’s only a star guest role, and Adam Scott has a lot of rough acting to do as the slimy git in charge of the takeover, messing with employee’s lives.

Stiller directs conscientiously and is very attentive to his actors. He’s ensured his film’s really well crafted and looks a treat. The soundtrack (score by Theodore Shapiro), camera work (by director of photography Stuart Dryburgh) and production designs (by Jeff Mann) are special.

This film’s been in development hell for two decades. Producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr, whose father Samuel Goldwyn produced the Danny Kaye version, planned a remake in 1994 with Jim Carrey. A 1997 Ron Howard-directed film with Carrey and a script by Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz didn’t go ahead.

In the noughties, the project hotted up, got cold and hotted up again. In May 2003 Steven Spielberg agreed to direct with Jim Carrey starring. In October 2005 Owen Wilson dropped out over creative differences. In May 2007 it was announced that Mike Myers would star. In April 2010, Sacha Baron Cohen was to star.

Finally in April 2011, it was announced that Ben Stiller had landed the lead role, and that July he also took over as director from Gore Verbinski, who was busy with The Lone Ranger (2013). Verbinski stays on as executive producer.

Samuel Goldwyn Jr, producer of many films including Mystic Pizza and Master and Commander, died on 9 January 2015, aged 88. Goldwyn Jr received his final credit as a producer on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

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© Derek Winnert 2013 Movie Review

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