Some movies are drastically underrated. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) obtained a 51% from critics, and the consensus was it lacks substance. That's simply not true. You can say it's objective, but... it's not. No major award show nominations either. It's almost a forgotten cinema piece that needs more love. This film is a great movie with a great message, so read on! No Spoilers.
STORY: Walter Mitty and the company he works for, Time Magazine, is undergoing changes with many people being fired. To save his job and find the missing quintessence picture, he must go on an adventure more incredible than his daydreams.
The few times Ben Stiller has directed movies, they've been marvelous. Tropic Thunder is one of the best comedies and Zoolander has its moments. However, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is different. It's still comedic, but the adventure is the main story.
Ben Stiller plays the main character perfectly. He's a lonely guy getting older who never saw the world like he wanted. Life happened and things changed. ***How many millions of people does this sound like? It may be one of you. Most of us aren't content. We want more. We want a relationship and trips to talk about. Daydreaming isn't bad if it doesn't control your life. For Walter Mitty, it does.
Kristen Wiig does a fine job as the leading lady. She has a good report with Ben Stiller.
For the technical side of the movie, the film editing is award-worthy. They blend in writing in the walls and have seamless transitions from daydreams to reality. That being said, the crux is the cinematography. They made use of the beautiful backgrounds on Mitty's adventure. The trips themselves are great, and I don't want to give them all away.
There is only one scene I'd take out. It's an odd Benjamin Button parody that doesn't really contribute.
I think some people misunderstand this movie. It does encourage travel and going on adventures, but that's not all. It tells you to be content. You won't be able to travel all the time and go everywhere, and that's okay. We mentioned earlier that it's a mammoth problem for millions on contentedness. Take advantage of adventures when you can then find the bright sides in your everyday life.
There's a line that I don't want to give away the context to, but I'll describe its meaning. We are always so worried and rushing along that we forget to stop... and enjoy the moment.
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