The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Film Critique

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is the second adaptation of the 1939 James Thurber story. The first adaptation was produced by Samuel Goldwyn and was directed by Norman Z. McLeod wherein Danny Kaye played the role of Walter Mitty. In this 2013’s adapatation Walter Mitty is being played by Ben Stiller together with Kristen Wiig as Cheryl Melhoff, Shirley MacLaine, Adam Scott and mary other more. Walter has a crush on his co-worker, Cheryl. He works as a negative assets manager at Life magazine. Druing his 42nd birthday, he received all of Sean O’Connell’s recent negatives with a wallet and a letter that tells him that number 25, the best photograph in the neg roll, was missing. Walter and his assistant was informed about a meeting and was told to bring the number 25 because Sean had sent a telegram that the number 25 should be the cover of the Life magazine’s last issue. Ted asked for the number 25 but Walter lied and told him that it was being processed. Using the other negatives as clues, Walter figures out that Sean is in Greenland and flies there to try and find him. As he arrives in Greenland, he goes to a bar and asked for Sean. Unfortunately, as the bartender said, Sean’s already gone and if he’s going to find him he should ride on a helicopter. Walter saw that the pilot is drunk and sings in the bar and so he refused to ride. Just like on Thurber’s story, Walter likes to daydream a lot. After seeing the pilot singing crazily, he daydreamt about Cheryl singing to show support and give confidence to trust the pilot that would help him lead to Sean. As Walter searches for the photograph he realized that it is only leading him to nowhere. Walter went home after receiving a text message saying that Ted’s firing everyone not until Walter gets the photograph. He went to see his mom and his sister. Walter was surprised to find out that Sean met with his mom to take a photo of his mom’s piano. His mom told it to him once but failed to hear him because he was