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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013 Film) Study GuideJames Thurber's 1939 short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," has been adapted for movie audiences twice. In 1947, Danny Kaye played the eponymous role in a version that stayed very loyal to Thurber's story. This 2013 version, starring Ben Stiller, took more liberties, but took its inspiration from Thurber's original concept. Producers originally planned to remake the movie in 1994 with Jim Carrey as Walter Mitty. Production fell through on a number of occasions, and different actors were tapped to play the Walter Mitty character, including Owen Wilson, Mike Myers, and Sacha Baron Cohen, until Ben Stiller signed up to both direct and star in the film in 2011. Although the film won no major awards, it was awarded "Best Film" at the 2013 New York Film Festival, and Ben Stiller fans voted it number three in a Rolling Stone poll of the best Ben Stiller movies ever. Critics were split on how to evaluate the film, but Peter Travers of Rolling Stone liked it, writing, "In his uniquely funny and unexpectedly tender movie, Stiller takes us on a personal journey of lingering resonance." Article Preview : In Ben Stiller's somewhat absurdist 2013 film, the title character embarks on a significant personal journey. MARK RAFIDI looks at how Walter's transformation is developed through other characters, his backstory and his imagination, and how the film can be used to prompt students in Years 7 to 10 to reflect on their own explorations of self. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller, 2013) follows the eponymous character's transformation from living in a dream world to one where he is bold enough to shape his own identity. Walter (played by Stiller) works as a negative assets manager for Life magazine, which is undergoing a process of modification, driven by a technological shift: it is transitioning from a print product to a digital one. For Life's final print edition, noteworthy photographer Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn) sends a telegram informing the staff that he has captured the quintessential image for Life and hopes they will consider this image, Frame 25, for the cover. Walter, however, cannot find it, and draws on the support of his co-worker Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig). The need for change within Life reflects contemporary economic and manufacturing contexts, and parallels Walter's journey: he faces numerous quests (adventurous, romantic and investigative) and is ultimately changed by his actions. Thus, the motif of metamorphosis is at the core of this film, existing on numerous levels. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A SLOGAN The following slogan is repeated throughout the film: '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 importance of this maxim permeates the entire text, appearing during different key stages of the film. Its philosophical messages about how one should live one's life are celebrated throughout the film, and are closely connected to the protagonist. * Make a list of the different scenes in which this slogan appears. Why do you think they appear when they do? * Rewrite the slogan in your own words. What do you think it means? Does any of it resonate with your own experience? * Why is Sean O'Connell's persona hitched to the spirit of this slogan at the beginning of the film? View the scene in which Walter takes his first steps beyond the threshold of his workplace and into the airport. The filmic techniques employed herein present a shift when compared to the rest of the film. Note the use of slow motion and the dolly shot of Walter running along Life magazine's hall. An upbeat non-diegetic soundtrack characterised by distorted guitars and a pulsing rock beat creates an atmosphere of adventure. This accompanies a mixture of long shots of Walter embarking on his journey and an extreme close-up of Walter reaching for his briefcase. These are edited together with shots in which phrases from Life's slogan are cleverly embossed within the mise en scene. * Why does the director introduce new film techniques at this point in the film? FIRST IMPRESSIONS During the opening... Get Full Access Gale offers a variety of resources for education, lifelong learning, and academic research. Log in through your library to get access to full content and features! Access through your library Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Australian Teachers of Media Source CitationGale Document Number: GALE|A440821104 What point of view is used in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a short story written by acclaimed author James Thurber. The story is written in a third-person perspective, and thus the narrator is unnamed.
How do I watch Walter Mitty?Watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Streaming Online | Hulu (Free Trial)
Is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty worth watching?It's quirky at many points, but I've never related to a movie so much. Walter's daily grind and his moments of daydreaming are so connecting to its audience (or at least to me).
Is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty appropriate for a 10 year old?The movie has several scary scenes that are likely to be too disturbing for children under eight years and even some older children. Because of this, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty isn't recommended for children under eight years, and we recommend parental guidance for children aged 8-12 years.
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