The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

 What's up guys, I'm the ever (not really) popular critic, TheCinemaChick! I know, I know, once again, I have been slacking but there have been some major events in this past month that have prevented me from writing. March has not been a kind month.


To start, my deepest and sincerest condolences to Kit Kat. She lost her father very suddenly and she's...well, she's doing ok, but I worry. We've both lost parents so we understand each other's sorrow. It breaks my heart. I knew her family, having spent a week with her over the summer. He was a very kind, warm hearted man.


A few days later, I saw on the news that a woman had gone missing in New Mexico. Normally, I tend to ignore those stories but when I saw a picture of her...well, I flipped out a little. If you haven't heard, an elementary school teacher and mother of 2 was beaten and strangled to death. She was from the Richardson area. The thing is, I didn't know her as a mother and teacher. I knew her as my neighbor. Her family has lived next door since I was roughly 7. I'd known her about 22 years. Having two major losses in such a short time really hit hard, plus it was time for midterms.


I'm sorry I'm never up to date but understand, life happens to us all. Sometimes, things are just unavoidable. Those two deaths are both tragic and untimely.


Now, this is a movie I hadn't planned to see. It didn't interest me but a friend of mine...who doesn't have a nickname yet...insisted I watch it. Since I had some time that night, I sat down, pressed play and soon became enveloped in a movie that could have been a fairy tale. Folks, if you haven't seen “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, consider renting it and watching it. Seriously, I dismissed it, thinking it was going to be boring but I am so glad I was wrong. My friend, let's call him The Canadian, really pushed this one on me. He and I share a love of movies. I quickly learned that he has excellent taste.


Walter Mitty is a normal man, one who goes unnoticed and stays quiet. Others pick on him and he has a crush on his coworker. He works at Life magazine, dealing with photographs and their negatives. While working on photographs for the magazine's last print issue, Walter is collecting negatives from Sean O'Connell, but one of them is missing. However, the transition manager, Tod Hendricks, becomes increasingly difficult. When Walter thinks he sees O'Connell inviting him on some sort of “treasure hunt”, he sets off for Greenland.


What could this treasure possibly be, you're wondering? It's a single frame. One negative, frame 25, is missing. Tod wants that particular one for the issue and will not give up on it. Once in Greenland, Walter embarks on this wonderous journey to discover the truth about the photo. This is where I say its like a fairy tail. He's seeking the mythical treasure to impress his lady and defeat evil. Before he can really do that, he must go through numerous trials and tribulations. He basically travels alone across the country, meeting various characters, like the drunk pilot, the fishing crew and the man who warns him about the volcano.


During his journey, he keeps in contact with Cheryl, the woman he loves and Todd (not to be confused with Tod), who is an eHarmony customer service person. He relays the story to both of them, earning popularity with both people. However, he must abandon his search when he recieves word to immediately return to New York. Most of the staff is being let go but Walter is fired for not being able to obtain the negative. Discouraged, he visits his mother. She knows Sean and had previously mentioned this to Walter, who had been lost in a daydream. Feeling hopeful again, he takes off and travels through the Himalayas until he finally reaches the end of his long journey. He finally meets Sean O'Connell while he is trying to snap a shot of a rare snow leopard.


This is where Walter Mitty learns the moral of the story. Sometimes, what you're looking for has been in your hands the entire time. By this he means, “hey, that wallet your mother gave you...it had the negative you've been looking for all along.” They head back down the mountain and play soccer with some locals. It seems Walter now knows the meaning of his life...to be happy and not let others bully him. He flies into Los angeles where he is detained and calls the only person he knows in the city: Todd. For the first time, they meet and seemingly become friends. I say seemingly because it's never mentioned or brought up again.


Back home, Walter and his sister Odessa (who has been in a few scenes but I found her insufferable) help their mother sell her beloved piano. He mentions what O'Connell said to him and that he had actually tossed the wallet in the garbage. Thankfully, his mother tends to hang on to his little knick knacks and has it in her possession.


This next part was by far my favorite.


Walter never looks at the picture. He takes it and walks into a meeting Tod is holding. The negative is slammed on the table and Walter berates Tod for mistreating and disrespecting the entire staff before letting them go. Without so much as a second glance, he leaves. Walter Mitty has finally learned to stand up for himself and what he believes in.


The movie has a happy ending, which I loved. The subtle romantic subplot did not detract from the overall feel at any way. It added to it. Walter and Cheryl end up together, holding hands after they see the final issue of the magazine. To both their surprises, it is not the negative Tod had obssessed over so much. It is Walter, examining a negative. The text salutes the staff, praising them for all their hard work.


If you want a movie that will make you feel good, definitely check this one out. It does start off a little slow but trust me, it just gets better. For me, I could see parts of myself in Walter. I'm not the most outgoing person in the world and I should stand up for myself more. Seeing Walter actually inspired me to stop being so hard on myself and accept that my life will have some amazing journeys and that I can and will change for the better. For instance, I have spent 2 weeks traveling Europe, where I stood on the edge of a mountain, went halfway up the Eiffel Tower.


I highly recommend this one, especially now that it's in DVD. It's a wonderful film that really went unnoticed. I did learn it is a remake but I have yet to see the original. As of right now, I have no desire to do so. There's enough going on in my life so I can't really add much more. School is about to pick up again and I've got other things to do. Basically, it's a great story, its inspiring and there's nothing to hate. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” should be on your movie list. It's a feel good film that doesn't overdo the whole “we're trying to inspire you and make you feel awesome” thing.



I'm TheCinemaChick and I think it's going to rain today.