The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

PG

2013

1h 54m

Comedy

Adventure

Fantasy

Action

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

194 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.

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Critics Consensus

It doesn't lack for ambition, but The Secret Life of Walter Mitty fails to back up its grand designs with enough substance to anchor the spectacle.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

06/19/2016

With such high aims, it's too bad that 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' falls somewhat short of greatness. But it's not often that you come across a "big" movie as earnest and patently un-cynical as this one.

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Dana Stevens

Slate

01/01/2014

Stiller's attempt to braid together introspection and humor kept me engaged and curious, even when I wasn't quite sure what he was setting out to do.

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

01/01/2014

3/5

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty probably succeeds on its own terms. Given the elusive nature of those terms, it is, however, hard to tell for certain.

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Wael Khairy

The Cairo Scene

09/23/2022

I admire the film’s originality, and the thought-provoking twist ending, but daydream of a deeper director’s cut.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

08/19/2022

1.5/4

Less about Walter Mitty’s secret life than his actual, perfectly romantic, impossibly realized adventures, the film loses itself in a fantasy world all its own and never fully embraces the everyday balance of reality and imagination.

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Kip Mooney

College Movie Review

09/17/2021

B

A frequently inspiring little film, one thrillingly devoid of any cynicism.

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Christi M

@quixotic1972 2d

This is one of my favorite movies. The soundtrack is melancholic yet hopeful, like the entire film. It’s quirky abut I always feel happy when I’ve watched it.

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Colton S

@RT98326568 Aug 2

Almost no plot at all. The amount of day dreaming in this movie is insane. Ben stiller is the only good thing in this whole movie💔🥀🥀🥀

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Jason H

@RT39828083 Jul 14

For those that dream of a life of adventure and creating memories, a life that steps off the standard path and to chase a life to be proud of, this movie is a must watch. Simply inspirational. How people are giving this incredible movie negative reviews says more about them as a person than the movie itself.

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Jimmy P

@57RESS Jul 9

For all human beings, summed up into a beautiful movie. Makes me want to do more. Amazing

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Thomas E

@thomas.s Jul 7

This movie is MAJESTIC. I adore the symbolism in it. I think the people who don’t like it unfortunately don’t understand the true meaning and emotion of this movie which is okay, but if you can see/think deeper, and beyond surface level this film is beautiful

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Chris S

@Janomi Jul 7

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is at its best when Ben Stiller treats Walter with sincerity instead of broad comedy. His direction gives the film a gentle, heartfelt tone, making Walter feel lonely, imaginative, and quietly dissatisfied rather than just quirky. The movie’s biggest pleasure is its sense of visual wonder. Greenland, Iceland, the Himalayas, the ocean, and wide-open landscapes give Walter’s journey a dreamy, inspirational quality. The soundtrack, especially songs like "Step Out" and "Space Oddity," adds to the adventurous, romantic, slightly melancholy mood. The message is simple but effective: stop hiding in fantasies and take real chances. The inspirational tone can push a little too hard, and the film loses some comic imagination once the daydreams fade. Still, it is good, visually beautiful, and more heartfelt than expected.

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Ben Stiller

Director

Ben Stiller

Walter Mitty

Kristen Wiig

Cheryl

Shirley MacLaine

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Adam Scott

Ted Hendricks

Kathryn Hahn

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Synopsis

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.

Director: Ben Stiller
Producer: Samuel Goldwyn Jr., John Goldwyn, Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller
Screenwriter: Steve Conrad
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Red Hour Productions, Samuel Goldwyn Films
Rating: PG (Language|Action/Violence|Some Crude Comments)
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Action, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $58.2M
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby

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