Row K Seat 19 "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" rated PG 114mins

"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."

THE STORY...
 So reads the slogan on the wall at 'LIFE' magazine where Walter Mitty [Ben Stiller] works as a 'Negative Asset Manager' catalogue-ing and making accessible the stock of images from photographers like the 'old school' Sean O'Connell [Sean Penn]. This provides the backdrop for the story of Walter, who had dreams that were effected by the death of his Father when he was younger. The film is quite different to the 1947 Danny Kaye adaptation [which I think I have seen on TV when I was much younger] of the James Thurber short story.
Instead of sometimes saying or doing what he wished, Walter 'zones out' into vivid CGI day dreams...

AND...
   I really enjoyed the film as an up close story about having the courage and the 'heart' to do and be who we can be, want to be, hope to be... it was the perfect way to kick off my holidays!! Did I think it was made brilliantly or that it wasn't slow like I'd read or that I didn't wish Benjamin Button had been left on the digital 'cutting room floor' NO, but as a story told I was 'in it.'
   For me the 'slowness' of the story was an invitation that Walter didn't jump at the opportunities 'overnight' and his hopes and wishes were deeper than and yet encompassed a love story. I felt connected with the painful part of his story. The musical soundtrack was downloaded on my phone before I finished watching the entire credits... which I still do for films I like. I thought Shirley MacLaine and Kristen Wiig were great casting choices.
   Courage is about more than opportunity. Our ability to be ourselves is shaped and fostered in relationship, through circumstances creating emotion and resilience from within our lives. Walter's Father died leaving no money but the impact of that on Walter is a slow burn in the story... from budgeting and what to do with his mum's piano through rediscovering his love of skating and onto an uncomfortable visit to 'Papa John's' Pizza!!
   In terms of how we might understand God I am reminded of the writings of German theologian Paul Tillich. Tillich presents anxiety as an outcome of the 'loss of meaning' in life and suggests courage is an antidote. "Courage is the strength to affirm ones own life in spite of the fact that life will inevitable end, that it may seem to have no purpose and that people are destined to carry great burdens of guilt for not being perfect or "acceptable" in their own eyes." writes one reviewer of Tillich's work in 'Courage to Be' from the early 1950s.