Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Craig Gillespie

Writer (WGA):

Nancy Oliver (written by)

Release Date:

25 October 2007 (Singapore)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

The search for true love begins outside the box

Plot:

A delusional young guy strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.

Plot Keywords:

Internet | Brother | Sister In Law | Delusion | Sex Doll

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 14 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 12	10:00 AM	SHOW
Fri. Nov. 13	3:30 AM	SHOW
Sun. Nov. 15	6:00 PM	SHOW

Cast

Ryan Gosling	...	Lars Lindstrom
Emily Mortimer	...	Karin
Paul Schneider	...	Gus
R.D. Reid	...	Reverend Bock
Kelli Garner	...	Margo
Nancy Beatty	...	Mrs. Gruner
Doug Lennox	...	Mr. Hofstedtler
Joe Bostick	...	Mr. Shaw
Liz Gordon	...	Mrs. Schindler
Nicky Guadagni	...	Mrs. Petersen
Patricia Clarkson	...	Dagmar
Karen Robinson	...	Cindy
Maxwell McCabe-Lokos	...	Kurt
Billy Parrott	...	Erik
Sally Cahill	...	Deb

Also Known As:

A Garota Ideal (Brazil) [pt]
Lars e una ragazza tutta sua (Italy) [it]
Lars et l'amour en boîte (Canada: French title) [fr]
Lars i jego nowa dziewczyna (Poland) [pl]
Lars ima curu (Croatia) [hr]
Lars ja se ainoa oikea (Finland) [fi]
Lars und die Frauen (Germany) [de]
Lars y la chica real (Argentina) [es]
Lars y una chica de verdad (Spain) [es]
O Lars kai i koukla tou (Greece) [el]
Plasztik szerelem (Hungary) [hu]
Une fiancée pas comme les autres (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sex-related content.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Canada:14A | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Italy:T | Germany:o.Al. | Ireland:12A | South Korea:15 | Norway:A | Argentina:Atp | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Australia:PG | France:U | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Alton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Trivia:

In the scene where Lars is reading to Bianca, he is reading from "Don Quixote", whose main character also has delusions.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the party, when the host puts on a vinyl record, she drops the needle on the first track on the side. But the song that comes out of the speakers is "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody), which is the last song on the Talking Heads album, "Speaking in Tongues." As the last track, it would appear closest to the center of the album, rather than at the outside edge where the needle is placed. In fact, it has never appeared as the lead-off track on any vinyl album.

Quotes:

Dagmar: So, tell me about Karin. I don't know her very well.
Lars Lindstrom: Oh, she's wonderful. Gus and I are very lucky with women - she's wonderful. But she...
Dagmar: That's okay, let's find you something to read
Lars Lindstrom: No, it's just… between us?
Dagmar: Of course.
Lars Lindstrom: I'm worried about her. I think she has a little problem.
Dagmar: Oh, well, maybe you shouldn't tell me.
Lars Lindstrom: No, that's okay. It's just, and I think it's because she's insecure, it's just, she's just always trying to hug everybody. You know, some people don't like that. Some people don't like to be hugged. But she doesn't realize that. She takes it personally, and, it hurts her feelings. I don't know what to do about that. Do you?
Dagmar: It's such a comfort sometimes, just to have somebody's arms around you. Don't you think?
Lars Lindstrom: No.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "At the Movies: (#6.1)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody) Live Version

Lars and the Real Girl

I just saw this movie last night with friends and I'll admit I'd never heard of it. I knew it was worth watching when I was told Ryan Gosling was in it so I was mildly excited to see it. The first thirty minutes of the film are pretty damn funny and to some, almost hilarious. Very well done comedic acting that is real, believable, and still amazing to watch. Part of what makes the first thirty minutes so funny is because we know about the doll, and we can't wait for the first reactions. After that the story takes a wonderfully surprising turn to a really touching light drama. I was very surprised but I really loved it. A lot of people laughed throughout the film, and I was very much bothered by that. There is a reason this man is pretending that a "sex" doll is a real person, and its a very internal serious pain thats hes going through, which for me, understanding that part of the story, I felt it was mildly inappropriate for people to laugh, but I understood with time. Near the end of the film it gets a little predictable for one, some would say major, plot turn, but not so predictable as to ruin it. About 5 to 10 minutes before it happens you see it coming, but other than that it was superbly acted by Ryan Gosling who has nothing but an incredible career in front of him, and good supporting roles as well. This is a very enjoyable film, which I recommend to anyone and everyone. It really seems to have something for everyone, but be prepared it might make you laugh, cry, or both. Its a very very good movie, and definitely worth seeing in theaters.