Have you ever narrated your everyday actions?  Walking to the bus.  Going to work.  Coming home.  Going to sleep.  Imagine someone else narrating for you.  And you can't turn them off, or shut them up.  What if you found out you were actually a fictional character that had been brought to life?

     This is the case of Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), who has the same routine day in and day out.  Until one day he hears his life being narrated by an omnipresent being (Emma Thompson).  This change becomes a catalyst for Harold's complete transformation into someone who finds joy in life.

     First off, holy shit, I didn't know Will Ferrell could ACTUALLY act.  He is fantastic as the quietly reserved Crick.  Also, this was the first time I'd ever seen Maggie Gyllenhaal, and I've been a fan ever since.  Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman both give the movie grace and magnitude where, at times, the film could have fallen off the ledge.  And for Arrested Development (2003-06;13) fans, you'll be happy to note that Tony Hale is Ferrell's coworker.

 

     What Makes This Movie Cool:  Emma Thompson.  Emma Thompson is the female Tom Waits, in the sense that everything she does is cool.  She can be dramatic.  She can be sweet.  She can be sad.  And she can be god damn fucking hilarious.  She manages to do all 4 in this movie, and with far less screen time than Ferrell.  Emma, you're in a class all by yourself.