"Lars and the Real Girl" is Not a Foreign Film, and That's Not Why You Should See It

Dear God,

If you haven't already heard about Ryan Gosling's new movie "Lars and the Real Girl" you're probably wondering (just like everyone else) Is that a foreign film? The answer is no. It's not a foreign film. For some, that's probably a relief – maybe even a reason to consider seeing it. This disturbs me, and that's why I'm writing you today.

I love foreign films, but not everyone does. Fine. What bothers me is that there are a bunch of reasons why everyone should see "Lars and the Real Girl" and not one of them is because it's not foreign. What are those reasons, you ask? Good question; I'll give you ten:

1) The Story. It's refreshing and unique. I know, I know, you probably think you've seen it all.
2) The Element of Surprise. Even if you think you know what it's about (yes, even if you've seen the trailer) you'll likely be
surprised.
3) The Cast. Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner and Patricia Clarkson. OK, technically that's five
reasons, but they're all notable and likable and I'm not leaving one of them out! Think of it as a bonus.
4) The Doll. You should meet Bianca. And, the fact that she's a Real Doll (and not an actual person) should not stop you.
5) The "Little Miss Sunshine" Factor. This movie, too, will remind you that you can't escape your family and that maybe,
somehow, that's not such a bad thing.
6) The Writer. "Lars" was written by a woman, and in an age when the head of a major motion picture studio (Jeff Robinov,
President of Production at Warner Bros – yes, I'm naming names) says they no longer plan to make films starring women
we should do what we can to prove that women are capable of producing commercially successful material (material
that's worthy of success, to boot) and, above all else, that this dude's a chump (Sorry for being mean, God, but this stuff
really pisses me off! And, sorry for writing "pisses" just now).
7) The Heart. At the risk of sounding softer than a wheel of room-temperature brie, this movie warmed my heart. In other
words, it's heartwarming. And if that seems like a reason not to see it, your heart's been frozen by the gratuitous
edginess (read: lack of substance) that permeates the so-called-indie film scene today. (Not you, God. I'm sure your
heart is warm and all that. But there may be some cold-hearts reading).
8) The Love. "Lars" is a love story. Not exactly in the conventional sense (see Reason #2), and completely in the
conventional sense.
9) The World We Live In. This movie promotes kindness and understanding. Can we really ever overdo those two? (I
thought you'd like this one, God).
10) The Flaws. Like Lars himself, this movie is not perfect, and I don't want to fool anyone into thinking that's what I'm
trying to say. All I'm saying is it's lovable, and don't we all love something or someone (not naming names this time)
imperfect?

The movie opened last weekend in New York and Los Angeles. But if it's easier for you to wait until it opens a little wider, I understand. You're busy. Just don't forget to tell me what you think once you've seen it.

Yours Really,

Crumpets