Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

A delusional young man strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.

Director:

Craig Gillespie

Writer:

Nancy Oliver

Stars:

Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Gosling	...	Lars Lindstrom
Emily Mortimer	...	Karin
Paul Schneider	...	Gus
R.D. Reid	...	Reverend Bock
Kelli Garner	...	Margo
Nancy Beatty	...	Mrs. Gruner
Doug Lennox	...	Mr. Hofstedtler
Joe Bostick	...	Mr. Shaw
Liz Gordon	...	Mrs. Schindler
Nicky Guadagni	...	Mrs. Petersen
Patricia Clarkson	...	Dagmar
Karen Robinson	...	Cindy
Maxwell McCabe-Lokos	...	Kurt
Billy Parrott	...	Erik
Sally Cahill	...	Deb

Storyline

In this comedy, Lars Lindstrom is an awkwardly shy young man in a small northern town who finally brings home the girl of his dreams to his brother and sister-in-law's home. The only problem is that she's not real - she's a sex doll Lars ordered off the Internet. But sex is not what Lars has in mind, but rather a deep, meaningful relationship. His sister-in-law is worried for him, his brother thinks he's nuts, but eventually the entire town goes along with his delusion in support of this sweet natured boy that they've always loved.

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Plot Keywords:

introvert | internet | sex doll | psychologist | in love with an inanimate object | 

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Taglines:

The search for true love begins outside the box

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sex-related content

Details

Official Sites:

Diaphana [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

2 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Une fiancée pas comme les autres

Filming Locations:

Alton, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$90,418 (USA) (12 October 2007)

Gross:

$5,949,693 (USA) (29 February 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Lars Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Real Doll" was featured on The Graham Norton Effect (2004). The doll was given to the show and was stated as costing $6,000. She arrived in the same kind of crate that is shown in the movie. To test how real the doll looked, they sat her in a bar with drink in hand, sunglasses, and a speaker placed on her so they could talk to whomever came up to talk to the doll. One man was told to go into the bathroom, take off his pants, and wait for her, and he did just so.

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Goofs

The version of the Talking Heads song "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" played at the party was never released on vinyl. The version played in the film is a live version recorded for the Stop Making Sense album but only appears on a Special Edition CD released many years later.

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Quotes

Kurt: You know what your problem is, Margo? You're just too aggressive. Just chill-lax, you know?
Margo: Shut up!

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Crazy Credits

Assistant Bianca Wrangler

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Connections

Referenced in Siskel & Ebert: The Worst of 2007 (2008)

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Soundtracks

Sorry
Written by Matt McMullen and Clay Davis
Performed by Nick Black
Courtesy of Black Eye Records

User Reviews

C'mon, it's funny. Is it?

Greetings again from the darkness. Guilt while laughing is an unusual experience ... well except while watching Lars and Bianca. This film is hilarious, touching and insightful. The product of genius writing by Nancy Oliver (Six Feet Under) and solid direction by Craig Gillespie ("Mr. Woodcock"), this film will force you to step back and think about how you treat those who might be a little different or struggle with social interaction.

Ryan Gosling is absolutely amazing as Lars. His character redefines "being in a shell". Wounded by the pain of losing his parents and literally frightened by human touch, Gosling exudes the humanity of a injured child. The real guilty fun starts once Bianca is delivered. Bianca is the anatomically correct molded doll whom Lars treats as a real girlfriend. The ride picks up steam when his relatives and then the entire town elect to play along.

The entire cast is excellent with standout performances by Emily Mortimer ("Match Point"), Paul Schneider, the great Patricia Clarkson as the very wise and very human doctor, and Kelli Garner ("Thumbsucker") looking very homely as the co-worker with a crush on Lars.

Not sure how wide of audience this will find, but I highly recommend to all adults ... it is not a film for kids. Hopefully the academy takes notice of the film, the writing and the acting ... all top notch.