The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Final Draft

Based on the 1939 short-story by James Thurber, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was brought to life on screen in 2013. Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, the tale follows the life of a man named Walter Mitty as he struggles with the possibility of losing his job as the negative assets manager for Time magazine. From the outside, Mitty’s life seems deeply ordinary and, frankly, rather boring, but his tendency to get lost in fantastical daydreams show a side of him not yet apparent to the outside world. After losing an important photo for the magazine’s final cover, Walter must embark on an incredible journey to track it down, while attempting to catch the eye of his love interest and co-worker, Cheryl Melhoff.

To many viewers Mitty is remarkably relatable, as most people in today’s world live mundane lives at office jobs similar to that of Walter Mitty. His daydreams, though extreme, reveal his deep desire to seek out adventure, heroism, and world travels. In a society where expectations are high, it takes a lot of work to achieve goals worthy of recognition. Tim Naughton, a lovable supporting character, makes this utterly clear as he helps Mitty “beef up” his online profile on the popular dating site, e-Harmony. The concept of having to fill out categories such as “been there, done that” draws the audience’s attention to the lack of excitement in Mitty’s current life and sets the stage for his wild journey ahead.

While the majority of the scenes are set in modern-day New York, filming locations used as Mitty becomes closer to finding the lost image predominantly take place in Iceland. Although in the movie, his journey seemingly taking him to Greenland and Yemen, most of the shots were filmed elsewhere. However, the breathtaking scenery, mountains, and vivid green fields of Iceland seem to fit the part perfectly. Viewers are left in awe as they are catapulted across the globe and the stunning countryside evokes a feeling of serenity and freedom as Walter escapes the brutal work environment he left behind.  Shots of the wide open ocean and rolling hills connect to the idea that Mitty now has endless possibilities of things to come and leave audience members hanging on their seats while imagining what further adventures are in store. One moment in particular that grabbed my attention was as Walter hunted down the picture near the volcano Eyjafiallajökull. The imagery seen as he longboards down a valley into a small town is awe-inspiring with bright green landscape the goes on forever, and the wind in his face as he moves elevates his newfound feeling of freedom perfectly captures the emotions reflecting in Walter’s mind at the moment.

Scenes throughout the movie seamlessly transition from reality to the imaginary world inside Mitty’s head which, at times, left one confused and on-edge before the story cuts back to reality. Often times the shift back to the real world is signaled by a sound in the background grabbing your attention and pulling Walter out of his dream. The unexplained transition from reality to daydream show just how easily Mitty’s mind takes him elsewhere and the draw back to outside life treats a smooth pull back to reality much like it would if the audience were also lost in thought. Editing and camera work create a point of view where those watching are sucked into Mitty’s mind and experience life through his eyes as he drifts from thought to thought.

As the story continues, Mitty’s adventures as he searches for the missing picture begin to match the crazy encounters formerly dreamt about. Though he is hesitant about following through with many of the tasks set before him, Mitty is encouraged by both Tim and Cheryl to follow through with making his dreams a reality. Ben Stiller captures the character perfectly, giving him distinct characteristics and a relatable feel. Despite the obstacles that emerge, Walter Mitty continues on his journey, motivating audience members to do the same. By living this marvelous adventure alongside an otherwise ordinary man, those watching are left with the same thirst for adventure that Mitty has.

Still camera shots and wide frames create a feel for the mundane life experienced outside of Mitty’s daydreams, giving extra emphasis of the action happening when he escapes to the world inside his mind. The bright lighting and sterile color found in most scenes are used to depict scenery most often found under the fluorescent light of buildings where life is unexciting and confined to cubicles. However, bright bursts of color and fantastic animation are used as contrast in his imagination and shift the mood to a more magical and dream-like state.

When taking a closer look at the story line in the film, it becomes clear that the plot line follows a classic “hero’s journey” pattern. In cinema, many stories are based on a pattern called The 17 Stages of Joseph Cambell’s Monomyth. These stages mark important points in the development of the plot and characters, split into three sections (separation, initiation, and return) as the hero completes their journey. The creation of characters such as Tim, the e-Harmony service provider, takes on the role of Walter’s supernatural aid, pushing Walter to respond to his call for adventure. And even from the first look one can guess that Cheryl will take on the role of the goddess as she becomes Walter’s love interest and appears suddenly to him in a daydream, giving him the push he needed to continue on the road to finding the lost picture. Although this cycle is used incredibly often in cinematic productions, it has become familiar to viewers and allows them to follow the storyline with ease and comfort, so that one can focus on the wonders of the story instead of how it is being told.

Overall, those involved in the making of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty did an extraordinary job in highlighting the adventurous and imaginative world in which Walter Mitty lives. The film spectacularly captures the dreamer inside all of us in a way never seen before and launches us into a world unknown.

Citations:

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Dir. Ben Stiller. Perf. Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2013. Film.

Barsam, Richard, and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies, Fifth Edition. N.p.: W. W. Norton, 2016. Print.

Stroginov, Konstantin. “Filming Locations of Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” Guide to Iceland. N.p., 06 Jan. 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. <https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/konstantin/filming-locations-of-secret-life-of-walter-mitty>.

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