In watching all of my films back to back, I have found there is a certain type of drama that I like more than others. The films that get me are the ones that are incredibly sad in content, but are shot primarily in a happy/sweet way. Lars and the Real Girl is the perfect example of a happy-sad film.
Lars is a loner who cannot seem to connect with anyone around him. Interacting with people gives him anxiety, so he avoids the pain as much as possible. However, when he decides he wants to start living differently, he finds a girlfriend, Bianca, to help him in social circumstances. In a strange turn of events, his new girlfriend is actually a sex doll that he ordered online.
When it becomes clear that Lars is not ok, the whole town and his family band together to treat Bianca, and by extension Lars, like part of the community. When Lars begins to feel more like a part of the community, Bianca begins to die. Lars then must grieve the loss of his only girlfriend and let her go in order to move on and be with the girl he was afraid of all along.
This film is so sweet while dealing with mental illness. As someone who deals with social anxiety, this film feels very real to me. I love the way the whole group of people comes together to help one person going through a rough time. Paul Schneider and Emily Mortimer are hilarious and I am low key obsessed with them. If you need a film to cry watching, this is an excellent choice.
This post is part of my year end challenge to watch every movie that I own. If you want to see the original post with a full list of all of the films. Click here.
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