'Lars and the Real Girl' - A Brighter View on Society

Rarely in cinema do directors represent the goodness of humanity as a whole. Particularly when the story revolves around an anti-social person who stands out from the rest. There is a multitude of plots where the main protagonist is ridiculed and bullied for their differences but rarely supported or embraced by their community. 'Lars and the Real Girl' stands apart from the rest and hones in on love, loneliness, and the power of an accepting society.

The film is set in a small, isolated town somewhere in midwestern America and focuses on a pathologically shy 27-year-old named Lars Lindstrom (Ryan Gosling). Lars lives in a one-room apartment attached to a garage of the house he owns with his brother Gus (Paul Schneider). Gus lives in the estate portion of the property with his pregnant wife Karin (Emily Mortimer). Both Gus and Karin constantly try to lure Lars to dine with them, but he always has some excuse to refuse social engagements.

Everyone in this friendly, tight-knit community, most of them members of the local Holy Grace Lutheran Church, is looking out for Lars' welfare and eager to draw him out of his loneliness. After Lars is introduced to a sex doll website, a large, heavy box is delivered to the garage, and shortly thereafter Lars tells Gus and Karin that he has a girlfriend whom he'd like them to meet. He brings her over for dinner, tells them she's called Bianca, is half-Brazilian, half-Danish, has had her wheelchair stolen, and would be better off sleeping in the spare bedroom in the main house rather than with him beside the garage. The initial relief that Lars finally found a human companion quickly shifts to shock when they realize Bianca is a provocatively dressed, life-size, anatomically correct sex toy, bought on the internet from a firm called Real-Dolls, which has provided her with a little biography. Lars treats her as if she's a real human being who is so shy that she needs Lars to speak for her. Gus and Karin begin to accept the transition with Lars and are approaching a point of concern when they turn to the local pastor and the town's female GP (Patricia Clarkson), who is also a trained psychologist. The troubled church elders turn to their priest who asks them what Jesus would do. Thus, Bianca joins the local church. Simultaneously, the doctor pretends to be taking on Bianca as a patient, while providing therapy for Lars. What proceeds is a cute, quirky, and funny film about a man overcoming his past grievances and finding his place in society.

'Lars and the Real Girl' is by no means a perfect film, but it captures a particular beauty in humanity that resonates with me. When Bianca is introduced as a character, rather than just a doll, it is just as much as an oddity for the audience as it is for the characters. But as the film continues the characters begin to develop normalcy on the subject because Lars is someone that needs support. The appeal of his character comes from his innocence. Lars doesn't order Bianca for sexual reasons; he orders her for companionship. The film has no focus on any sexual interaction with Bianca because this story isn't about that. Lars' innocence is the story, so every factor plays around that. The preservation of his innocence is the motivation for the people in the town to support him. They go to great lengths to make her welcome, which is more of a reflection to make Lars feel welcome.

The theory presented in the film is that to help Lars break his delusion everyone must treat her the same way he treats her. Although some individuals razz Lars about Bianca, most of the people come around and see her as a real person: she joins the school board, gets haircuts, visits the children's hospital, etc. The concept of these activities rests in a happy medium between comedic and serious, which is important for a screenplay this odd. If the film were too comedic the themes of innocence would be lost and if the film were too serious the film would result to pretentious mush. There are scenes where Bianca "eats" dinner, interacts with young kids, and "says" humorous things about her surroundings. These scenes add a level of charm and ingenuity that I can't get enough of.

Overall my opinion of this film is relatively positive. Ryan Gosling beautifully translates the charm and likeability of Lars to the viewer. Second to Gosling, the next best performance is Paul Schneider as Gus. Schneider is the perfect actor to play the role because he effectively conveys stubbornness and compassion. Both actors have great chemistry in scenes where Gosling's closed-off persona butts heads with Schneider's morally rooted character. These two rose the level of believable and helped to immerse me into their little world. I'm glad that this film had a mission to tell a quirky, little story and they accomplished it. If you're in the mood for a sweet, positive film then I highly recommend you give this watch. It is the type of film that leaves you with a happier outlook on humanity and the people around you. In a world surrounded by depressing news and amid a pandemic, 'Lars and the Real Girl' is a more than pleasant break. Let me know if you felt the same way in the comments below.

BASED SUMMARY ON - Guardian News and Media. (2008, March 23). Review: Lars and the Real Girl. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/mar/23/comedy.drama.