Critical Response - Stranger Than Fiction

Critical Response- Stranger Than Fiction

Humna A.

Fate with life respond

The film Stranger Than Fiction written by Zach Helm is a significant example for those who believe their life is perfect. Life is never perfect, there are always ups and downs that are main parts of life. Individuals cannot control one’s life but can control the decisions made. However, the choices made by an individual can influence life through transformation. One’s life can be altered by only one decision and may impact people around. Sometimes knowingly and sometimes unknowingly, people make a decision that may harm someone and it is their choice to keep the decision, or save a life. No one in the world can control fate, but one can control the way in which they respond to it.

In the beginning of the movie, the director spent much time visualizing and explaining the main character of Harold Crick. The character was a second name of organization and infinite numbers. Harold begins the day with the same routine for twelve years. According to the narrator, Harold live his life by his wristwatch which guides him to perfectly match the routine and aspect of his life. Since Harold Crick thought his life is perfect, there is no need of something else. However, life goes on, and keeps changing, there was more Harold had to explore. Harold never had any expectations or hope of changing his dull life. Nevertheless, fate can change lives and no one has control over fate thus Harold had to face it but, it is up to him how to respond. A day, that fate chose to be part of Harold’s life that transformed his life. The character had choices in response to the narrator’s voice he was able to hear. These choices can be controlled however, Harold chose to take the voice ultimately serious and decided to see the psychiatrist. Unfortunately, the psychiatrist was not a solution, concluding Harold to see Professor Hilbert who told him to stop doing what he normally does to make the voice go away. This worked for few days but made Harold away from his everyday routine and adapted to a new way of living. For example, the character began to brush teeth differently, wore different clothes, different timings and started a new relation, a personal life away from professional. Unintentionally, Harold was fully changed because fate has enough power to change lives but no one can change fate.

As the film continues, a new character of Karen Eiffel is introduced to the audience. At first the character was shown disturbed and then it is cleared that she is struggling with the ending of her novel. As the story-line of the film get further, it is revealed that the narrating voice Harold can hear is Karen Eiffel. Therefore, Harold was the main character