Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Meta sugar. I loved the bus scenes.

• Lucas M

  
  It's like a version of Groundhog Day written by Charlie Kaufman.

• Matt G

  
  Amazing movie. And I mean amazing. It's funny and with lots of heart. Will Ferrell (Step Brothers) delivers an outstanding performance as the IRS Agent Harold Crick, whose life has been interrupted by a narrator controlling his every feeling and action, including the way he… More
  Amazing movie. And I mean amazing. It's funny and with lots of heart. Will Ferrell (Step Brothers) delivers an outstanding performance as the IRS Agent Harold Crick, whose life has been interrupted by a narrator controlling his every feeling and action, including the way he dies. It sounds completely ridiculous, but what this film really is, shows the intensity of a man, knowing that his life is in the hands of an author. The acting in this movie is amazing. This isn't Will Ferrell's normal comedy role, it's actually an emotional breakdown of a normal man. The other actors include Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight), Dustin Hoffman (Meet The Fockers), Queen Latifah (Hairspray), and Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee). All of the actors in this are up to par. This is a must-see. You won't regret it!

• Jeff "

  
  Stranger Than Fiction is a very good drama film. I loved Will Farrell's ability to try something new here. Stranger Than Fiction is a well acted film that has a great story. Stranger Than Fiction is a good film that has the right amount of comedy and drama to create a unique, fun… More
  Stranger Than Fiction is a very good drama film. I loved Will Farrell's ability to try something new here. Stranger Than Fiction is a well acted film that has a great story. Stranger Than Fiction is a good film that has the right amount of comedy and drama to create a unique, fun and entertaining story. The cast are terrific, and Will Farrell definitely shines here. Especially I felt that the films he's done during this period weren't as good as his first few comedies, this one renewed my interest in him, and frankly, this is one of his strongest films. Stranger than Fiction has enough comedy to appeal to fans of comedy, albeit the comedy is a tad more serious than what Will Farrell usually delivers. However, that doesn't mean that the film is bad. The film is a strong comedy drama film held together by a good cast and a good script. Stranger Than Fiction is a great film that exposes a different side to Will Farrell, and this film proves that he can act. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and I think it's one of Farrell's best films. I enjoyed the film and Stranger Than Fiction is a terrific comedy that has some great performances and a great story. The film is a different change of pace for Will Farrell, and he delivers something memorable on-screen. A fun, entertaining film that will appeal to anyone looking for a good drama comedy.

• Alexander D

  
  STRANGER THAN FICTION is a brilliant, smart, clever way to break the fourth wall. It is Will Ferrell's most overlooked comedy, because it seems everyone appreciates TALLADEGA NIGHTS and BLADES OF GLORY.

• Letitia L

  
  I often don't finish movies that I watch alone, but this one kept me hooked because I just *had* to find out how he died! Will Ferrell was surprisingly hilarious and you really felt for him, despite him being a boring taxman. Understatedly lovely.

• Jameson W

  
  This is one of my favorites! I love everything about it. This is my third review I have written for this movie; it's so hard to describe it and do it justice, especially when it's a little underrated. First of all, the story is so smart, clever, complex, but all the while… More
  This is one of my favorites! I love everything about it. This is my third review I have written for this movie; it's so hard to describe it and do it justice, especially when it's a little underrated. First of all, the story is so smart, clever, complex, but all the while completely simple. The execution of it makes the difference, director Marc Forster did a perfect job with this one. It's different, touching, funny, and most importantly...thought-provoking! It really makes you think about life. The cast is my absolute favorite thing about the film. I do not like Will Ferrell at all, nor do I like his movies. He's too over the top and rarely funny in my opinion, but here, he acts. He genuinely tries to portray a character, and he succeeds. He really gives a good performance, and to this day, this is the only film of his that I like and will confidently recommend to anyone. Emma Thompson gives a truly remarkable performance as the suicidal author, Karen Eiffel, who is plaqued with writers block. Her performance is so solid that I think she deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but that's just me. I laughed at her, felt for her, and was even weirded out by her quirkiness. It's a well-rounded and highly memorable performance for me. Then there's the famous Dustin Hoffman who was excellently cast. Then there's Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays one of my all-time favorite movie characters ever, Miss Pascal, a free spirited Baker who becomes the love interest in the film. It's hard to describe her really, but Gyllenhaal is PERFECT! A stunning performance that I will never forget. Also the small roles of Queen Latifah, Tom Hulce, and Linda Hunt are so nice. The script is another one of my favorite things about the film. How in the word was this not nominated for Best Screenplay? I'm no expert, but the writing and script of this film is smart, fresh, and brilliant. There are so many memorable and quotable dialogue scenes, it's not even funny. Add to that a brilliant cast and a good director....everything falls perfectly into place. Also the locations used in the film are perfect! It gives the film an indie feel that I absolutely love. Stranger Than Fiction: a great, near perfect comedy film! Completely underrated, in my opinion. I recommend it!

• Shawn E

  
  I was pleasantly surprised to how much I enjoyed this film. In my opinion this is Will Ferrell's best performance even compared to all his comedy hits.

• Lanning :

  
  This is the best acting job that Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal have done so far. Ferrell is best when he doesn't Ferrell-out -- like Jim Carrey when he works like he does in <i>The Majestic</i>. A very interesting attempt at examining the interface between fact and… More
  This is the best acting job that Ferrell and Maggie Gyllenhaal have done so far. Ferrell is best when he doesn't Ferrell-out -- like Jim Carrey when he works like he does in <i>The Majestic</i>. A very interesting attempt at examining the interface between fact and fiction. <p>Emma Thompson is superb as the "blocked" writer, and this is the most I've enjoyed Dustin Hoffman in a good long while. As an English major myself, I have to say that the list of questions to narrow what kind of "story" Ferrell is in is hilarious : )

• Brad W

  
  A very good movie. This proves Will Ferell has the talent to play a dramatic role while making himself likeable. The plot is great and you would think it would be slow but its not predictable. Stranger than Fiction is one of those rare movies that cannot be missed, go see it if you… More
  A very good movie. This proves Will Ferell has the talent to play a dramatic role while making himself likeable. The plot is great and you would think it would be slow but its not predictable. Stranger than Fiction is one of those rare movies that cannot be missed, go see it if you haven't.

• moon r

  
  A quiet fantasy piece, nearly english in aspiration, about the stuff that dreams are made of: the desires of the heart. Ferrell plays against type to a wonderful effect, Gyllenhall shimmers as the unexpected object of desire, and Hoffman is warm as the college professor who attempts… More
  A quiet fantasy piece, nearly english in aspiration, about the stuff that dreams are made of: the desires of the heart. Ferrell plays against type to a wonderful effect, Gyllenhall shimmers as the unexpected object of desire, and Hoffman is warm as the college professor who attempts to explain the big picture to us, but Emma Thompson's go at Hugh Grant as a eccentric writer makes this a joy.

• Dead A

  
  One of the best movie of Will Ferrell. The story was unique.

• xGary X

  
  IRS auditor Harold Crick discovers that he is the leading character of a novel in progress written by an author who is famous for killing off her heroes. I was quite taken with the idea behind this film; enough for me to get past the presence of Will Ferrell, an actor I detest. The… More
  IRS auditor Harold Crick discovers that he is the leading character of a novel in progress written by an author who is famous for killing off her heroes. I was quite taken with the idea behind this film; enough for me to get past the presence of Will Ferrell, an actor I detest. The beginning of the film lived up to my leap of faith, presenting what seemed to be a clever, literary story in the vein of Charlie Kaufman's work, complete with some nice Eternal Sunshine-style visual flourishes. Unfortunately it falters halfway through as the rather appealing Maggie Gyllenhaal's anti-establishment hippy baker falls into bed with the anally retentive-to-the-point-of-Assberger's Ferrell, a man she previously loathed and represents everything about modern society she hates. Just because he gave her some flour and sang a song. In other words, it becomes the usual kind of absurdly contrived feelgood romcom that I avoid like the plague. It continues the surreal element of the story in that the written word become reality, but it's never explained or even explored, preferring a glib happy ending; any film that describes its own plot as a modern masterpiece needs to do a hell of a lot better than that. The one revelation about this film is the fact that I find Ferrell a lot funnier when he's not TRYING to be funny and hope he continues in this vein in the future. I may actually start to like him. Perish the thought...

• Jay H

  
  Will Ferrell needs more roles like his in "Stranger than Fiction" and less like his in "Elf".

• Richard C

  
  i really great movie, one of will ferrells best movies. B+

• KJ P

  
  Will Ferrel is dumb as always, but a little less than usual, which is a sigh of relief. This movie actually blends dry humor with his dumb witty humor, which is a cool twist, and the story follows closely, with a strong premise.

• Jon L

  
  This is one of Will Ferrell's best movies by far. It's pretty funny but definitely not his typical slapstick comedy. Although the film was a little slow, it was nice to have something original like this for a change. It is a fairly clean film, but I think they could have… More
  This is one of Will Ferrell's best movies by far. It's pretty funny but definitely not his typical slapstick comedy. Although the film was a little slow, it was nice to have something original like this for a change. It is a fairly clean film, but I think they could have done more with this and if they did it could have made it into a household classic.

• Jennifer D

  
  I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. I thought it had an excellent story, wonderful casting and even something I thought as odd, but FABULOUS locations. Gorgeously dressed and wonderful spacing on this awesome locations. That's something I rarely note in a film. This… More
  I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. I thought it had an excellent story, wonderful casting and even something I thought as odd, but FABULOUS locations. Gorgeously dressed and wonderful spacing on this awesome locations. That's something I rarely note in a film. This film was cute, funny, sweet and serious, modern and with a very, very humorous look at a writer's job.

• Lewis C

  
  I absolutely enjoyed Stranger than Fiction, when I first saw it at the movies a few years ago. It seemed so different from most of the other movies that I had seen by that time. My roommate and I left the theater thoroughly impressed. Alas, I've seen a lot more movies since… More
  I absolutely enjoyed Stranger than Fiction, when I first saw it at the movies a few years ago. It seemed so different from most of the other movies that I had seen by that time. My roommate and I left the theater thoroughly impressed. Alas, I've seen a lot more movies since then, and my tastes have been expanded by all the great movies that I've seen in the years that passed. Don't get me wrong, Stranger than Fiction is still a good movie. I couldn't count the number of small smiles that frequently popped up on my face as I watched it. But now I see that beyond a few clever touches, it's really a pretty pedestrian story. It's greatest strength is the rather unique way that the plot is told, but nothing happens that hasn't happened in a million other films. Will Ferrell was a good choice as the main character, but it's not exactly a demanding role. None of them are. But even though the movie isn't exactly the marvel that I remember it being, I'm still glad that I got a chance to watch it again.

• Daniel P

  
  One of the smartest movies ever made, and of particular note is Dustin Hoffman as a professor. An instant favourite.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings