The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) – Movie Review

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.

Walter Mitty works at LIFE Magazine and frequently has vivid daydreams to escape his mundane life. But as the magazine prepares to print its final issue, the image sent in for the cover is lost. With no way to contact the photographer, Walter embarks on an adventure to find him and get the image for the final issue.

I decided to watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty spur of the moment and it was surprisingly really good – Much better than I would have originally thought. While the overall story was pretty good, it had great music, cinematography and a great message that really made it shine. That message being to stop dreaming and start living. At the start of the film, Walter experiences vivid daydreams multiple times throughout the day. But the more he stops overthinking things and goes out and lives, the less he daydreams.

Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, I thought he did a great job portraying his character and bringing a meaningful message to the story. This is the second movie adaptation of James Thurber’s 1939 short story of the same name. The first film adaptation was released in 1947 starring Danny Kaye.

Overall, I’d rate The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 4/5 stars.  It was just a nice uplifting tale about a man who, feeling stuck in his mundane life, learns to let go and start truly living. Couldn’t we all do this a little more? I think this is a film anyone could enjoy and take something away from. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is currently available to stream on Hulu.