Mady Lauderman
Favorite movies are a personal thing and can say a lot about person. Given how personal film is there are usually one or two films that stand above the rest as a movie as a defining movie for an individual.
For me, that movie is “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” directed by and starring Ben Stiller.
There are few movies I would ever feel worth watching multiple times, but this movie is worth multiple views, worth owning beyond a streaming app, worth listening to as a soundtrack and worth sharing.
There are three major concepts this movie portrays that help make this my favorite film.
The first major concept, and most central of them all, is Walter Mitty’s character and his development through the film. He begins the movie as a sheepish man, fearful of rejection and lacking self confidence.
Walter is a man who lives in his head and the viewer can see a multitude of ideas running through his mind and the statements he wishes he could say to those around him. Many of the creations in his mind are action packed or adventure filled; he’s dreaming of a life he wishes he could have, but is too afraid to go after.
These day dreams of his are shown throughout the entire movie, but become less and less as the movie progresses.
By the end of the movie one can note that Walter is no longer afraid to venture off alone, stick up for himself or go after what he wants. The best part of the movie consists of the end where he no longer daydreams. He’s made his imaginary life of aspiration and adventure a reality. He went after what he wanted, which I admire and hope to do throughout my life.
The second major concept is the theme of adventure. In the beginning of the film, Walter is only ever seen in comfortable confined spaces such as his apartment or office. He hasn’t seen much of the world.
As the movie progresses, he travels across the world, visiting places like Greenland, Yemen and Afghanistan. He picks up old habits of longboarding and new habits of mountain hiking. He meets people completely different from him, some threatening to him and has experiences he never would have had just comfortably sitting in his office.
Walter Mitty is such an average man, which is why watching his journey encourages me all the more to travel and experience new and uncomfortable things. Walter decided to go – to commit and make each trip his priority. Walter’s story encourages me to seek a life of adventure.
One final favorable aspect of the film is its setting and vast scenery. Though many of the locations Walter travels are not where the sets were filmed, one can’t help but desire to see such places in person.
Not only are the settings appealing, but the soundtrack is as well. Music ranges from artists like David Bowie to Jack Johnson to Of Monsters and Men, that somehow all work well together throughout the film. The movie won multiple awards for its audio and visual aspects.
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is not just a good movie to watch, but something that encourages and spurs the viewer on in ways one wouldn’t expect. One can’t help but see a little bit of themselves in Walter Mitty
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is available on Google Play, iTunes and Amazon Prime.
