
Lars and the Real Girl
They consult the family doctor Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) who explains this is a delusion he’s created — for what reason she doesn’t yet know but they should all go along with it.
- Director:
- Craig Gillespie (feature debut)
- Writer:
- Nancy Oliver
- Cast:
- Ryan GoslingPatricia ClarksonEmily MortimerKelli GarnerPaul SchneiderLauren Ash

Reviews & comments

Flicks, Andrew Hedley
flicksIf you thought that making a movie where a lonely man falls in love with a sex doll was a silly idea, you were wrong. What might have turned out as a lame extended joke, cooked up by smug creative types who think they're funnier than they are, is actually a sweet, warm comedy that stays well away from cynicism or sarcasm and might win over the most skeptical viewer.
French version was smarter
I kind of regret I went to see that movie, especially after watching a brilliant French comedy titled "Monique" released in 2003 with the same bland character, an inflatable doll that is. I loved "Monique" better for several reasons, first the script was written by a woman which offers a very original view on marital relationship. Second the main character,...
Hard to fault
Saw this in a packed house at Rialto, there's something great about laughing along with heaps of others. And there's something for everyone in this. Fantastic acting, beautifully scripted, well-paced, stunning cinematography and laugh out loud funny. This is truly American independent film as it should be done. I'd say "See this now!" but this one will...

Variety
pressHelmer Craig Gillespie's sweetly off-kilter film plays like a Coen brothers riff on Garrison Keillor's "Lake Woebegone" tales, defying its lurid premise with a gentle comic drama grounded in reality. Although well-acted by a name cast, the offbeat subject matter and idiosyncratic tone make it arthouse material...

Empire Magazine
pressA strangely affecting romance with real heart -- and another sign that Gosling is one of the best young actors around.

Dominion Post
pressThis is a pitch-perfect and gently satirical small-town yarn - the sort of thing Garrison Keillor might have found himself narrating.
Sure, it takes a willing credulity to really buy into Lars - is this a town without one single obnoxious teenager? - but if you do, you'll find this a great little film.
Like Little Miss Sunshine, Lars and the Real Girl takes an unlikely story and spins it into some real gold.

Christchurch Press
pressKind, sweet, and innocent, weird, heartbreaking and at times cruel, this carefully crafted low-budget film is full of an endearing kind of humanity.

BBC
pressA sweet, touching beautifully crafted film which tackles some tricky themes with a great deal of sensitivity and warm-hearted humour.

Flicks, Andrew Hedley
flicksIf you thought that making a movie where a lonely man falls in love with a sex doll was a silly idea, you were wrong. What might have turned out as a lame extended joke, cooked up by smug creative types who think they're funnier than they are, is actually a sweet, warm comedy that stays well away from cynicism or sarcasm and might win over the most skeptical viewer.

Variety
pressHelmer Craig Gillespie's sweetly off-kilter film plays like a Coen brothers riff on Garrison Keillor's "Lake Woebegone" tales, defying its lurid premise with a gentle comic drama grounded in reality. Although well-acted by a name cast, the offbeat subject matter and idiosyncratic tone make it arthouse material...

Empire Magazine
pressA strangely affecting romance with real heart -- and another sign that Gosling is one of the best young actors around.

Dominion Post
pressThis is a pitch-perfect and gently satirical small-town yarn - the sort of thing Garrison Keillor might have found himself narrating.
Sure, it takes a willing credulity to really buy into Lars - is this a town without one single obnoxious teenager? - but if you do, you'll find this a great little film.
Like Little Miss Sunshine, Lars and the Real Girl takes an unlikely story and spins it into some real gold.

Christchurch Press
pressKind, sweet, and innocent, weird, heartbreaking and at times cruel, this carefully crafted low-budget film is full of an endearing kind of humanity.

BBC
pressA sweet, touching beautifully crafted film which tackles some tricky themes with a great deal of sensitivity and warm-hearted humour.
French version was smarter
I kind of regret I went to see that movie, especially after watching a brilliant French comedy titled "Monique" released in 2003 with the same bland character, an inflatable doll that is. I loved "Monique" better for several reasons, first the script was written by a woman which offers a very original view on marital relationship. Second the main...
Hard to fault
Saw this in a packed house at Rialto, there's something great about laughing along with heaps of others. And there's something for everyone in this. Fantastic acting, beautifully scripted, well-paced, stunning cinematography and laugh out loud funny. This is truly American independent film as it should be done. I'd say "See this now!" but this one will...
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