Our take
Starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner and Patricia Clarkson. Lars and the Real Girl is a funny and thought-provoking look at the psychology of loneliness and the healing power of love. I rented this a few years back because of Ryan Gosling – he had just blown me away in Fracture so I was trying to catch up on his other movies. It was an unexpected gem. One of the sweetest movies I have ever seen – it was kind of like a fairy tale. With a blow-up doll. Yes, that’s right.
What it won
Oscars
1 nom
Golden Globes
1 nom
Nat. Board of Review
1 nom
The story
Extremely shy Lars finds it impossible to make friends or socialize. His brother and sister-in-law worry about him, so when he announces that he has a girlfriend he met on the Internet, they are overjoyed. But Lars' new lady is a life-size plastic woman. On the advice of a doctor, his family and the rest of the community go along with his delusion.
Elsewhere
"Sweet and honest, but not much more."
— Jonathan Williams
"Often howlingly funny, and the actors are a treat."
— David Edelstein
The details
Streaming arrival
