Lars and The Real Girl (2007)


I loved this movie. Maybe I was just in the perfect mood for it on Christmas night, but I thought it was sweet, insightful and uplifting. Lars is a painfully shy man, clearly scarred by his upbringing and so afraid of human interaction that being touched actually causes him physical pain. Enter Bianca, a full sized mail order anatomically correct female doll. Deluding himself that Bianca is real, Lars embarks on a loving and chaste relationship with her. To their credit, his brother, sister-in-law and the entire community go along with the delusion while the psychiatrist explains that Lars will be “cured” when he no longer needs Bianca. What is so moving about this story is the way the people surrounding Lars support and love him through his delusion. I watched this movie because of an article I read that characterized the story as a premise that worked against all odds. I can certainly see that. The story line sounds like an SNL skit. But Ryan Gosling plays Lars with so much sincerity, and Patricia Clarkson plays his compassionate psychiatrist with such deftness, that it is impossible not to love this movie. On Christmas night, no less. Because often times loving requires complete and utter delusion. The fact that we love anyway is what makes us human.

Movie Information

Lars and The Real Girl (2007)
Year: 2007
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