Stranger Than Fiction details

Stranger Than Fiction
Formats: 12 DVD, Blu-ray
Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson, Tony Hale
Director: Marc Forster
Genres: Action/Adventure - Romantic, Drama - Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Sci-fi - General, Television
Studio: SONY PICTURES
Collections: Top 400 All-Time Rentals
Name Discs
Stranger Than Fiction
12 Feature

DVD Information

Run time: 1 hour 49 minutes
Rental release: 02 Apr 2007
Main languages: English, English Audio Description
Subtitles: English, Hindi
Hearing impaired subtitles: English
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LOVEFiLM Review Stranger Than Fiction

  • 3.5 stars out of 5  

    By Tom Charity from LOVEFiLM

    Will Ferrell, an IRS auditor, suddenly finds himself the subject of narration that only he can hear. It begins to take over his life.

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Most helpful review Stranger Than Fiction

  • Masterpiece of its type

    Rated - 5.0 stars  
    By BH101 (35 reviews) from Cambridge , 11 Dec 2006

    [Highly rated reviewer]

    This is, for me, the Groundhog Day of the 00s. It's a hugely engaging, quirky high-concept film which could have gone so horribly wrong in dozens of ways, and yet - it steers a path through all the potential traps to deliver something that is very funny, very moving and very memorable. Will Ferrell is perfectly cast as Harold Crick and rarely will you feel such empathy with a character in a film as he struggles to come to terms with the strange way in which his life is unfolding. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson bring a richness to their respective supporting roles, and Maggie Gyllenhaal is as winning as usual as the love interest.

    The script contains just the right balance of humour, pathos and drama. The opening few minutes may irritate you, as you adjust to the eccentric style and tone of this film, but once it hits its stride, it's truly captivating. There's not quite enough for Queen Latifah to do, and there are a few sections which drag a tiny bit around the middle, but these are small criticisms of a masterly piece of work, which offers something genuinely different and refreshing. The scene in which Hoffman attempts to discern by interrogating Harold what the nature of the narrative is in which he is the hero - a comedy or a tragedy - is a standout moment at the heart of this clever and superb film. I think people will be talking about this film in years to come in the same affectionate manner as they do Groundhog Day. But history may prove me wrong on that. It's just a great example of a film which gets pretty much everything right, and the result is sheer entertainment.
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All reviews

(786)
  • Very strange fiction

    Rated - 1.5 stars  
    By Bobsview (554 reviews) from Gloucestershire , 05 Apr 2013
    Fantastic cast (Thomson, Hoffman) but ridiculous plot of person who’s life is being controlled by author writing a novel. He realizes he is the hero of the novel and there is no escape from a tragic ending. Tries to be deep and meaningful at the end.
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  • Thompson and Ferrell are superb

    Rated - 5.0 stars  
    By twosoddingcats (214 reviews) from Kingston-upon-Thames , 25 Mar 2013
    Emma Thompson is a writer suffering from writers block- she hasn’t figured out how to kill off her hero, Harold Crick, and she always kills off her hero’s. Queen Latifah is sent by the publisher as an author’s assistant to make sure Thompson finishes off the novel as per her deadline. The trouble is, Harold Crick is real (Will Ferrell) and he’s beginning to hear Thompsons voice narrating his life. He must find the person behind the voice before it’s too late…as she’s made him aware he’s going to die…in the meantime, despite being an IRS tax inspector who everyone hates, Harold is falling in love with Maggie Gyllenhaal, a quirky baker. This shouldn’t work as a movie and screenplay- but it does. Nice support from Dustin Hoffman as a Literature professor.
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  • Easy watching

    Rated - 4.0 stars  
    By Gilldog (3 reviews) , 14 Jan 2013
    Not at all usual Will Ferrell, but funny and engaging throughout. Plot is a little uneven but an enjoyable film that I'd watch again and would thoroughly recommend. Oh, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as a tattooed anarchist baker is absolutely smoking in it.
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  • IRS auditors may be boring, but not as deadly as this

    Rated - 0.5 stars  
    By PaoloC (55 reviews) from Norwich , 31 Dec 2012
    Implausible premise - dull IRS auditor starts to hear the voice of the author wirting about him in his head- awful visuals and lighting utterly dull cast. We lasted about twenty minutes too many!
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  • original, witty and funny

    Rated - 5.0 stars  
    By theboff (1 review) , 15 Dec 2012
    might I just point out that anyone that describes a movie, or anything actually, should not be writing a review- just my opinion. THE film however is fantastic, has a rich story line though a little slow to begin with, gathers momentum as the plot thickens. some fantastic actors/tresses credit the title with brilliant performances; notably Dustin Hoffman and Will Ferrell. It has everything, don't go to sleep, you'll miss out on a truly original piece.
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