Stranger than Fiction (2006)
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72% of critics liked it
(172 reviews) -
82% of users liked it
(370,796 ratings)
A socially isolated IRS agent whose every move is documented by a disembodied female voice discovers that his life is the subject of a book currently being written by a best-selling author, whose creative block has stunted her repeated efforts to kill him off, in a quirky fantasy comedy written by… More A socially isolated IRS agent whose every move is documented by a disembodied female voice discovers that his life is the subject of a book currently being written by a best-selling author, whose creative block has stunted her repeated efforts to kill him off, in a quirky fantasy comedy written by Hollywood hot property Zach Helm and directed by Finding Neverland's Marc Forester. Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) lives a life of solitude. Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson) can't seem to find a way to finish her latest book. Though Harold and Kay have never actually met, their fates are about to become intertwined in a most unusual manner. With her publishers growing increasingly impatient with her apparent inability to put the finishing touches on her latest novel, Kay is assigned a new assistant whose task it is to help provide the creative push needed to get her book finished and into the hands of her many eager fans. The subject of Kay's novel is a lonely and despairing IRS agent named Harold Crick, who believes that his life has lost any real meaning. As Kay continues to weave Harold's woeful tale without realizing that her protagonist is actually a living human being unable to concentrate on his life and career due to the constant interference of the narrator who inexplicably seems to anticipate his every move and read his every thought, her continued efforts to kill her perplexed subject finally provide him with the incentive needed to fully experience life by seeking out the source of the voice that plagues him. Penned by the screenwriter named by Variety magazine as one of the "Top Ten Writers to Watch" and who was also included in Esquire magazine's "Best and Brightest" list of 2004, Stranger Than Fiction features supporting performances by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, and Queen Latifah. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Marc Forster
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Nov 10, 2006 Wide
- Studio
- Sony Pictures
Critic Reviews
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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.
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Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York
An uncommonly plastic bit of Hallmark sentiment-mongering, with exactly the kind of New Age psychobabble ending youâ(TM)d expect.
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Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
A film well worth seeing and savoring.
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Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Stranger Than Fiction seems like an old episode of the Twilight Zone, and the idea would have worked better as one of Rod Serling's half-hour epistles on human foibles.
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Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Stranger Than Fiction is both about a novel and like a novel; you eagerly await the turning of the pages.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Cast
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Will Ferrell
as Harold Crick
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Maggie Gyllenhaal
as Ana Pascal
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Dustin Hoffman
as Professor Jules Hilbert
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Queen Latifah
as Penny Escher
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Emma Thompson
as Karen 'Kay' Eiffel
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Tony Hale
as Dave
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Tom Hulce
as Doctor Cayly
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Linda Hunt
as Doctor Mittag-Leffler
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William Dick
as IRS Co-Worker 1
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Guy Massey
as IRS Co-Worker 2
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Martha Espinoza
as IRS Co-Worker 3
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T.J. Jagodowski
as IRS Co-Worker 4
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Peter Grosz
as IRS Co-Worker 5
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Ricky Adams
as Young Boy
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Christian Stolte
as Young Boy's Father
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Denise Hughes
as Kronecker Bus Driver
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Peggy Roeder
as Polish Woman
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Tonray Ho
as IRS Co-Worker 6
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Danny Rhodes
as Bakery Employee 1
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Helen Young
as Bakery Customer 1
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David Pompeii
as Bakery Customer 2
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Linara Washington
as Bakery Employee 2
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Larry Neumann Jr.
as Homeless Man
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John Mohrlein
as Man With Hose
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Bruce Jarchow
as Commuter
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Kristin Chenoweth
as Book Channel Host
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Bradley Mott
as Large Man on Bus
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John Watson Sr.
as TV Author
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David Wiegers
as Bakery Customer 3
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Jarret Sleeper
as Bakery Customer 4
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Karen Lloyd
as Customer With Tan
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Keith Kupferer
as Demolition Foreman
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Danny McCarthy
as Demoliton Crew
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Tab Baker
as Demolition Crew
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Mark Buettner
as Claw Operator
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Christian Young
as ER Doctor 1
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Arraon Hixson
as Young Male Patient
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Bryan Kelly
as ER Orderly
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Whitney Sneed
as ER Nurse 1
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Ray Kurut
as ER Doctor 2
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Michael Cook
as ER Doctor 3
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Cheryl Lynn Bruce
as Head ER Nurse
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Chet Dubowski
as Man in Tweed
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Oran "Juice" Jones
as Banneker Press Receptionist
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Jordan Keller
as Grocer
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Herb Lichtenstein
as IRS Co-Worker 7
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Stacey Jackson
as IRS Co-Worker 8
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Jordan Teplitz
as Old Man on Phone
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Ricardo Guiterrez
as Bus Company Manager
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James Mazza
as Irritated Man on Bus
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Oscar Roxas
as Another Man on Bus
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Nadiera Bost
as Accident Witness
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Sandra Marquez
as Accident Witness
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Lacy Coil
as Accident Witness
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Will Clinger
as Accident Witness
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Albert Samuels
as Accident Witness
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Frank Caeti
as Accident Witness
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Andrew Rothenberg
as Doctor Mercator
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Rengin Altay
as Nurse
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Lucinda Kemp
as Bus Operator
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Donna Watkins
as Bus Operator
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Julien Heron
as Animal Footage Voiceover
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Bob Papenbrook
as Animal Footage Voiceover
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Mike McColl
as Animal Footage Voiceover







