Lars and the Real Girl

I just watched the movie Lars and the Real Girl last night and actually really liked it. Not that I had low expectations going into it; I had heard from more than one person that it was good. But I found it very enjoyable: touching, and humorous all at the same time.

It's the story of a gentle young man (Lars) who has been living a secluded life and is experiencing feelings of isolation and solitude due to a family tragedy. His response to his loneliness is to order a life-size doll over the Internet, and he actually believes her to be not only a real person, but his girlfriend, whom he names Bianca. Lars' brother and his wife, concerned with Lars' mental state, consult their doctor who recommends that everyone go along with Lars' delusion, and that when he no longer needs the delusion it will go away. Everyone in the town is asked to participate, and in the process they come together to support Lars, helping him to deal with his condition. Because of this, Lars begins to come out of his shell, and begins his journey of healing.

One of my friends told me she thought it was the most hilarious movie she had ever seen in her life. I can see how it would be funny (I can't imagine how the actors pulled it off with a straight face) if you look at the way Lars and everyone in the town treat Bianca, but really it isn't meant to be intensely comedic. The overall tone of the movie is serious, but is kept light with many mildly comedic moments. One of the funniest is about a third of the way into the film where Lars is laying in a treehouse singing.

It was just released on DVD this week so it should be available for rental or purchase, but since it wasn't a well-known movie, there aren't a lot of copies around. It stars Ryan Gosling (from The Notebook), is raged PG-13 (Bianca is technically a sex doll, and there are a couple off-color jokes about that, but the doll isn't even suggested to be used in that way; the film is otherwise very clean). I highly recommend this movie.