By Raylyn Bowers
Ranger Reporter
Last weekend, I went with a friend to see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I usually do not go the movie theater, partially because I cannot sit still long enough to finish a movie and partially because I would rather spend my money on something else.
However, even though I somehow found myself sitting in an oversized chair with a broken cup holder, I can honestly say now that I’m glad I went.
Walter Mitty starts the movie as an intense daydreamer with a boring life in reality. He works for Life magazine developing film, has a close relationship with his mother, whom he takes care of, and never has taken any big life chances.
He created an eHarmony account just to talk to a woman he works with instead of taking a risk and just talking to her in person.
He has a sister who is energetic, irresponsible and dramatic. During one scene, she meets him as he is walking into work. She is dressed like Rizzo from Grease, screams “Happy birthday, Walter!” through a large crowd of people and hands him a clementine cake.
We all have those family members who show up at the most inopportune moments and embarrass us completely. For Walter, that person is his sister.
When he makes it upstairs, still carrying the cake, he finds out that Life magazine has been bought out during the weekend and is going completely online. In preparation for the last print issue, one of the photographers sends in a roll of film to be processed along with a present for Walter.
The photographer writes Walter a note telling him he thinks No. 25 on the roll of film has captured the essence of life, but negative 25 is missing.
The dilemma starts an adventure to track down the photographer in order to find the negative. Walter flies to Iceland, gets into a bar fight, jumps out of a helicopter, battles a shark, outruns a volcano eruption, climbs a mountain and gets past hostile rebels by giving their leader a piece of clementine cake.
Along the way, he finds out who he is. He learns to live in the present and that life isn’t always about getting the best picture sometimes, but it is about seeing it with your own eyes.
He learns to fight for what is right, to never give up and that true beauty does not ask for attention.
Walter works through obstacles and setbacks, but he does eventually get the “happily ever after.”
Walter Mitty truly is a lovely movie, and I recommend going to see it.
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