A few weeks ago, my sister, Mary and I were scanning movie trailers to see if anything good was coming out soon. Then, we stumbled on a film starring Ryan Gosling, whom we had both found to be dynamic in his role opposite Anthony Hopkins in the courtroom drama Fracture. Lars and the Real Girl is a departure from the courtroom drama and is about a man who develops a relationship with a full-size vinyl doll. For those who say "That I gotta see!" You will be disappointed. The relationship is chaste as, according to Lars, the "doll," aka Bianca, was raised by nuns and is a missionary with nurses training. Oh, and she is good with kids. Ryan Gosling plays a sympathetic, albeit pathetic, character who is just plain good. His odd behavior and social deficits are overlooked by an equally just plain good co-worker who is smitten from the first time she sees this disheveled man who wears his blankie as a scarf. I must tell you I was on the brink of a terrible bout of flu when I sat in the theater. But I was so caught up in this lovely little story that I did not sense the impending headache and chills that would follow me home from the theater and stay with me for days. Mary and I were thrilled to find it playing at a theater near us...well not so near. We had to drive to Norfolk and got stuck in tunnel traffic. Bill, Mary, and my sister-in-law Christina (who got a get out of the house pass for the night...lol), had a memorable time. There was applause at the end of the film and the woman in front of me chided Bill for asking if the doll was recyclable at a critical point in the movie. All in good humor. As this woman was choking back tears and laughter the whole time. We all were. At the risk of sounding redundant. This is a must see. Enjoy!
