When “Stranger Than Fiction” was released late last year, it seemed to be lost in a fray of Oscar potentials. Still, looking back at the film, now on DVD, it’s a charming little picture.

The movie tells the story of Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), a very structured and very boring IRS auditor. He goes about his day with mind-numbing precision, going as far as counting his brushstrokes when he brushes his teeth and counts steps to the bus stop. One day, he hears a voice in his head – only it’s not a scary voice of the dogs next door telling him to kill people. Nope, this guy has a narrator.

At first, the voice is a minor annoyance, but when it announces that he is facing his imminent death, Harold panics. Sure that he isn’t crazy, Harold embarks on a journey to discover who is narrating his life, and in the process he finds himself, comes out of his shell and even falls in love.

I fell in love with “Stranger Than Fiction” the moment I saw it. The movie has an incredible burst of creativity, but it was subdued and restrained, unlike most films that come out of Hollywood these days. Having pretended that I’ve had a narrator myself (which I’m hoping isn’t as strange as it sounds), this really touched something inside me.

This isn’t Will Ferrell’s first step into drama, but it is definitely his strongest performance yet. Because the film exists as a light comedy carrying some pretty heavy elements, it serves as a perfect vehicle for Ferrell. Although it is a comedy, it challenges him as well, but putting all of the restrictions on his character that Ferrell doesn’t have naturally. It forces him to pull back the manic Ron Burgundy-style of acting and find something deeper inside.

From beginning to end, “Stranger Than Fiction” is exceedingly charming. It’s a warm film captured in a box of cold city limits. There’s something inviting about Harold Crick’s life, and as he journeys down his road to discovery, I just felt sucked in.

In addition to Ferrell, plenty of other excellent actors populate this film. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays an audit victim that Harold falls in love with. Emma Thompson plays the depressed author Karen Eiffel who is narrating Harold’s life and desperately trying to find a way to kill him. Queen Latifah plays the publisher-mandated assistant who is hired to make sure Eiffel finishes her book. And Dustin Hoffman shines as the literary professor that Harold comes to in desperation to find out whether he’s in a comedy or a tragedy.

Expertly directed by Marc Forster, “Stranger Than Fiction” is one of the best movies of 2006, and it’s a shame it was largely forgotten during awards season.

The DVD comes with a nice assortment of special features, including some deleted scenes and bloopers. There’s also an entire menu of behind-the-scenes information that range from casting to how the filmmakers created the graphical representation of Harold’s life.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1) – Enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Mastered in high-definition. French language track. French subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.