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Stranger Than Fiction

Some cute moments, but overall a big waste of potential.

• Structure/Plot

A dull nobody who partially blossoms late in life may work in a novel, but is not enough for a movie. The cool idea of Harold realizing he’s a character in a novel is not enough to make the movie great because that’s not the core of the story, that’s just the dressing or avenue or some other metaphor. Harold’s personal growth is the core (and it could’ve happened through other means). Once you have a grand concept like this, it dictates that the character must do great things…a small development in Harold thanks to a large creative gimmick is unsettling.

The key word above is “partially.” For a movie, he needed to play a show and dedicate a song to his girlfriend in the audience, not just play the guitar to her in the living room. He needed to take at least one step to a new career, not just remove his tie outside the office. He needed…you get the point.

Harold plays the song.

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