Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Kristin Chenoweth

An IRS auditor has his life interrupted by the sound of a personal narrator who knows his every thought, feeling and action, including when and where he will die.

Flixster Users

82% liked it

370,796 ratings

Critics

72% liked it

165 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Marc Forster

Release Date: November 10, 2006

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DVD Release Date: February 27, 2007

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Stats: 35,636 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (35,636)


  • October 11, 2009
    Very funny and original movie about a man who hears a female voice narrating his every move. Will is very comical. It is also good to see Emma as the quirky narrator.
  • September 3, 2009
    This film didn't really make much sense to me, it did have its funny moments, just not enough to make it a great film. An odd choice for Marc Forster to direct and a misconceived idea by Zach Helm.
  • June 29, 2009
    So, another comedic actor is trying his hand at drama? Yes and he's making it work.

    I must admit, when I first read about this film, I envisioned something different. I had initially imagined a male voice (similar to that of Mort Crim. Anyone who's heard Little Acorns from The ...( read more)White Stripes album Elephant may know him through the opening monologue) who Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) suddenly starts hearing and it would later be revealed that the entire world was fictional, with the narrator reading this book (filled with Harold's demands to know who the voice was) to a class.
    Not that I didn't enjoy what's being offered here.

    What the story does involve, however, is very similar. Harold Crick suddenly starts to hear a voice in his head, narrating his life (the voice being provided by Emma Thompson, who should do more narrative work as she suits it quite well. Though she also does quite well when the camera is on her) and Harold finds out someone is writing a book and he is the unwitting central character. Along the way, he learns to loosen up a little and explore a relationship with Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal, who I just love to death).
    I find the concept to be quite clever, especially when Harold demands to know who the voice is or for the voice to leave him alone and the author writes it as him shouting at the heavens.

    Despite the fact it is part comedy, Will Ferrell is pretty much the straight man here, reacting as opposed to initiating (for the most part). He has to take early abuse from Maggie (his character works for the IRS) and keep things serious. Even when he is allowed to emote a little more, it's an understandable rage at his situation. Will's proven he can go beyond the normal "man-child" roles, even if he does a great job with those. Here's hoping he'll branch out and do more drama roles in the future.

    If I have one criticism, it's with Queen Latifah's character. It's not just the fact that I dislike Queen Latifah and feel she fails to impress in just about anything I've seen her in, it's also that her character does nothing noteworthy. She's essentially there to motivate Emma Thompson's character to finish her book, which she does on her own. What would have made for more interesting viewing was to have a younger version of the author appear and remind her of first writing experiences as motivation (would have worked too, barely any characters see Latifah's character so you could swap them with little trouble).

    All in all, a nice little dramedy. Hopefully we'll see more of its type in the future.
  • December 19, 2008
    Visually stunning and has a clever, imaginative concept for the plot.
    Screenplay and direction are quite good up until the half, where everything slows down and turns a little too sentimental, in a cheap Spielberg-like sort of way.
    For once, Will Ferrell plays a contained and int...( read more)eresting character.
  • November 16, 2008
    This movie wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I can't stand Will Ferrell, but this movie was actually pretty good compared to most movies he does. The cast was good as well.
  • November 12, 2009
    Will Ferrel at his finest. Clever, beautiful.
  • November 11, 2009
    The biggest highlight, of course, is Kaufman's talent. Since his name is already a strong promise, the expectations are inevitably high. The concept is incredibly smart, but just as I expected, the film started beautifully and Forster achieved to make it drag later on. Good film ...( read more)to watch, but even the couple chemistry was non-existent.

    68/100
  • November 3, 2009
    a ridiculous story...
  • November 1, 2009
    What could have been in interesting idea never managed to sell me that it was telling me an interesting story. I think it had to do with the lack of charm in the main character, a flaw that can't be entirely attributed to the actor, because at some stages he managed to pull off s...( read more)ome lines that I was suprised were able to be said non-cheesily. Also I somehow never bought the chemistry with the main characters.
    Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson get the most intriguing characters of the bunch and I wish they'd gotten much more screen time.
  • October 28, 2009
    unique story ^^
    but didn't have a special message to me >.<

Critic Reviews


October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello, NPR.org

The actors and the filmmakers all take a more restrained approach than you might expect, keeping the humor gentle, and the jokes mostly as literary as the premise. full review

November 10, 2006
Pete Hammond, Maxim

Ferrell proves just the right choice, nicely underplaying for a change and ratcheting up his game opposite major talents. full review

November 10, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It doesn't coast on its premise but follows where it leads, which is into some serious territory. What might have been a joke with a tagged-on sentimental ending becomes instead a sensitive movie that... full review

November 10, 2006
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Stranger Than Fiction might be film, but it moves like a novel: a literate, unhurried tale marked by softly wrought reflections on the self-made life. full review

November 10, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Besides being inventive and witty, Stranger Than Fiction is a tribute to the power of literature. But art is not its only domain. It also delves into the world of ultimate certainties: death and taxes. full review

November 10, 2006
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

While Stranger Than Fiction traffics in a bit of darkly funny existential anxiety, it also finds room for romantic fantasy and sentimental uplift.

November 10, 2006
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Stranger Than Fiction is a meditation on life, art and romance, and on the kinds of responsibility we have. Such an uncommonly intelligent film does not often get made. full review

November 9, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

The picture is an overworked trifle: There's so much going on in it that it becomes hard to care about anything that's going on in it. full review

November 9, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

There's no joy in seeing Ferrell play an office drone, and the life lessons he learns are of the "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" variety. full review

November 2, 2006
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

This is a Ferrell you've never seen before, nailing a role that calls for breakneck humor in the final race against the clock and touching gravity in the love scenes with Gyllenhaal. full review

View more Stranger Than Fiction reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • JewelFire
    June 5, 2007
    I loved seeing Will play a more serious character. The scene where he cries is heartbreaking! It proves what a great actor he is.
  • clairebandaids
    April 7, 2007
    Buster + Space Camp = Win
  • SupaHezza
    March 4, 2007
    i saw this movie last night it is awesome, will ferrell is awesome in it, another great performance from dustin hoffman and the lovely Maggie Gyllenhaal was absloutely awesome in this movie, im suprised i hadnt heard more about it up and till then.
  • tbelyea1
    March 1, 2007
    poignant and creative. could be the best i've seen will ferrell and maggie and emma were up to their usual best. great screenplay!
  • bbabygurl10459
    February 25, 2007
    me and one of bf saw it and we laugh off our heads til the end thts when we fell apart
  • humanstatue
    February 2, 2007
    A really good movie. The previews draw you in and make you think its gonna be all about comedy, but its not. Its actually a comedy drama that really gets you thinking.
  • astrowop
    January 31, 2007
    funny and diffirent
  • Donegal
    December 19, 2006
    I really liked this movie.

    I bet the reason alot of people didn't like it is because they went to expecting it be another "dumb humor" kind of movie, and it's just NOT. There is more to this movie than just humor, and I guess some people can't appreciate that, especially when that is what they were expecting.
  • HotMormonGirl
    November 14, 2006
    I can't wait to see it, and Emma Thompson is way cool! Go Emma!
  • dork22
    November 10, 2006
    This will be the best movie because Will Ferrell is in it he is the one the best actors!!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Stranger Than Fiction Trivia


  • in which movie does will ferrel star as harold crick?  Answer »
  • In which movie did Will Ferrell strar as a man whose life was being narrated?  Answer »
  • In Stranger Than Fiction, when Harold first starts hearing the voice over what does he think is speaking to him?  Answer »
  • in the movie Stranger Than Fiction what was Harolds (will ferrel) last name?  Answer »

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