MovieChat Forums > The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) Discussion > Of course he NEVER actually travelled to...

Of course he NEVER actually travelled to Greenland, Iceland, etc.

posted 11 years ago by John-G
101 replies | jump to latest

Warning; this post obviously contains spoilers!

Well, I never intended to create this topic in the first place because I thought my observations were obvious. I guess not. I was surprised reading so many posts here on imdb (and of some critics) of people who really think he went to Greenland, Iceland and Afghanistan and he really made it to the cover of the magazine.

As the movie shows in the beginning, most of his life (in particular the adventures) are daydreams. Do people really think the travelled to Greenland? Battled sharks? Stars at skateboarding? Escaped a volcanic eruption? Climbed mountains? Made it to the cover of LIFE? And, perhaps, got the girl?

Is this a feelgood movie? Why? He got fired for losing a negative (creating his own imaginary adventure based on photos to retrieve it from his wallet), never leaves New York, only has a helpdesk guy to talk to on the phone, and hopelessly tries to approach a female colleague who already started dating a guy (her outdated profile is broken which explains why he cant sent a wink). It made me feel pretty sad at the ending. On the other hand, this "secret life" of his brings him to mountains in Afghanistan while actually being in a city park next to kids playing soccer. This makes his life richer than any of us can imagine, so ok, for that reason, it can be considered a feel good movie..............

The hints that most stuff is not real are countless:
1. The sequences at the beginning of the movie of him being a hero heavily warning the viewer. 2. his cell phone reception talking with the dating-site helpdesk in the middle of nowhere. The calls are real, but the location and the conversation itself arent. 3. A NY pizza place in Iceland when he steps out of a car. 4. unrealistic action (eruption, sharks, high-altitude mountain climbing). 5. kids playing soccer on high mountains like its a park. 6. After his final hero talk with the bearded bad-guy, he suddenly is in the elevator with a colleague, showing it was again just a day dream. 7. the cellphone text message of his colleague on the mountain which only half-succeeds to bring him back to reality.

Any moment that is normal is real, any moment where he is a hero is obviously not. The only doubt is created in the final scene with the girl, I really hope for him that was real!!......

Many people might find this post obvious, so my sincere apologies to them. Its just surprising that a movie like "Life of Pi" (similar to this one since what you see isn't "real") needs to put in a final scene to explain stuff, which was not necessary of course. As soon as it is not explained (as in this movie), its shocking to see how many people take what they see literal....... How many hints do you need? Does it really need to be spelled out for you all time? I also thought about the excellent horror movie "Drag me to hell" which shows the mental state of a woman with an eating-disorder, but never spells this out to the viewer, resulting in >90% of the viewers misinterpreting the entire movie.

In hindsight, I have to agree with the critics that this movie is not as good as it could have been. Its a commercial-like "feel good" movie that is misinterpreted by many people. Deep issues remain unfortunately unaddressed, making the movie shallow (nonetheless amusable!). Truly good scenes are absent. Its just nothing compared to something like Forest Gump.

[–] th_snc 11 years ago

I, for one, saw the movie and got the interpretation that his actual adventures were real. It really felt like a character growing and some shock of reality check and all. But this thread got me second thoughts!

Thinking back, it does make some sense, on a couple of things. Like.. when he goes to Cheryl's place to deliver the skate board and visit, the guys does refer to her as "honey", and acts weird towards Walter while also displays feeling really comfortable on that house. Maybe because they split up on good terms or something.
And when they talk and she says they arent back together, he does tell her that he went and travelled and got the skate in Iceland and all.

But the piano picture really blew my mind. And maybe those "lead" pictures could be a sign of reality. He did receive them via mail and all, i guess? Unless he was daydreaming since he received them, the Life magazine was never really sold and all. Care to join me on this discussion?

I'm gonna try to watch it again using these thoughts.

But thank you, nevertheless, for this thread and the change of perspective it ignited.

[–] muveme 11 years ago

The storyline on the movie's page here gives us the answer:

Ben Stiller directs and stars in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined. Written by 20th Century Fox

[–] daanvanharen 11 years ago

Yeah, but they wouldn't exactly want to say "Walther takes action, but only in his head because of course everything you're gonna see is impossible"

People, I for one think that it's all a fantasy. Because indeed you can't take phonecalls on the bleeping Himalaya for instance, and all the thing said before in this topic BUT and I don't know if this already passed by here (no time to read ALL reply's though I read a lot) the biggest clue for me is that they want you to believe that everything is happening in ONE DAY, at least that's how I remember it.

How would it be possible to go to Greenland, Iceland per boat in one day? Not..

I might have missed out on something here (was enjoying some of mother natures herbs) but I can't exactly recall days passing during Walters adventures. At least not until he gets home from Iceland and goes to his mom and for a brief moment puts an end to the adventure.

thoughts?

[–] John-G 11 years ago

Mother earths natural herbs have never hurt anyone! In fact, it seems to me you haven't missed anything Daan. (1 dag reistijd is inderdaad wat aan de korte kant!)

I do not want to claim that its definitely all fantasy. But at least, AT LEAST, one should acknowledge the ambiguous nature of the movie.

I am happy I sparked a good discussion.

[–] joeparkson 11 years ago

If it was all fantasy in Walter's head, then it is a truly, unutterably sad movie. He never really grew as a person; never got the girl.

Absurdity: A Statement or belief inconsistent with my opinion.

[–] ScottishFilmFan 11 years ago

He did travel.

Quickly pause his email inbox in the scene in the cafe near the end. There are emails from the helicopter pilot and the guy from the boat. Only there for a brief second below the top emails.

[–] jennieraccoon 11 years ago

It is definitely ambiguous and this thread has been great but the more I look at it I'm sure it was supposed to be real.

I think that if you read back through everyone's comments though all of the reasons brought up for why it was 'mostly real and not all fantasy' are much better than those ideas that are trying to discredit his adventures, most of which are explainable anyway.

[–] captain_indifferent 11 years ago

So his mother had to sell the piano because he had used up all his money sitting on a park bench or airport lounge or dropped it down a sewer grate daydreaming?

He just bought the skateboard somewhere in NY to coincide with his fantasy he built?

Was the e harmony guy real? Did he get detained for a flute and released to e harmony guy? Are all previous conversations with said guy real but all subsequent conversations with guy post adventure and "hits/winks" rate increase fantasy?

As stated above there was certainty and confidence in the daydreams, eg. exploding building, Dumbledore, paperclip coffee fantasy but insecurity and fear in helicopter, shark attack, awe of plane straddling photographer before escaping eruption.

So at the end there was no girl who saw the imaginary Time cover and remarked on his purchasing a copy and held his hand, he is just waiting for his severance check and handing in his ID while he stares blank faced and drooling on the outside of the glass partition? (they should of showed that, would of had me in stitches as much as the Benjamin Buttons skit)

[–] jennieraccoon 11 years ago

I'm sure it is not supposed to have taken place in 1 day, they certainly make no mention of that. I think the fact that time moves along at the TIME magazine office (characters are wearing different clothes, characters ask where Walter has been, they have a few weeks or something to get the final magazine ready to print etc) indicates that many days have passed between the opening and closing scenes.

[–] BelleStar82 11 years ago

I disagree
Sure, the situations are fantastical like a lot of movies(volcano, sharks, etc.) but I do believe they are supposed to be real in this movie's universe. The OP mentions Forrest Gump which employs almost the same magical realism.

What brings me to this conclusion is that the nature of the fantasies are different from the "real" things Walter is experiencing. In the fantasies, Walter is overly confident, in control, and sometimes a whole different persona. In the "real" sequences, Walter still has doubts about the situations and still a bit clumsy. There is a progression though, until he seems more in control and at peace with his life at the end. He is not a persona, but a more confident version of himself.

Also, his fantasies still propel some of the action (like Kristin Wiig singing before he jumps on the helicopter). Instead of being a fantasy within a fantasy, I think we are supposed to conclude that Kristin in that scene is fake, but the helicopter is real. If it was ALL a fantasy, Walter would jump and make a perfect landing inside the chopper, steer it with expertise, would not be anxious about it, and make a perfect landing without dropping the cargo he was supposed to deliver.

[–] r-granjero 11 years ago

The short story by Thurber was about a guy with an overbearing wife who day dreamed to escape. This movie though, is a remake of the 1947 film with Danny Kaye. In that one Walter has an overbearing mother and a job as an editor or something. He daydreams to escape that. Then meets a girl and starts a real life adventure involving nazis, espionage and love.

The 1947 film wasn't an artsy interpretation, it was about a guy who dreams of adventure and when he finds it becomes a better man.

I see nothing in this film that strays from that particular concept.

[–] soSagtDieHex 11 years ago

my 2 cents:
just like the OP I was convinced all the traveling around is nothing but a chain of mind trips to begin with
I honestly don't see how any different interpretation can make any sense

the 1947 D. Kaye flick reference won't apply here imho
the Story of Pi wavelenght would match though

and anyway all this wouldn't detract from the story at all which is still crystal clear and poignant all the same
don't know why, but the most warming and enlivening momemt to me was the impromptu football (that's "soccer" to some) game on those forlorn mountains.

[–] John-G 11 years ago

Yeps, that soccer didnt make sense, not did the cellphone reception

[–] sou300 11 years ago

On the contrary... the soccer game makes a lot of sense for everybody else in the whole world (who love to watch and to play football), with the exception of Americans, of course.
And the cellphone coud be a through a satellite reception.

Talking about "make sense" what do you say about flying aliens on Earth dressed in red and blue toghts leotards or playboys disguised as a bat fighting crime on fantasy cities?

Movies are 100% pure imagination, my dear.

[–] DKeaton 11 years ago

This movie though, is a remake of the 1947 film with Danny Kaye

Have you actually seen that one? Other than the main character is called Walter Mitty and he's a daydreamer, there's absolutely nothing similar in the two films.

[–] laplante-co-672-297856 11 years ago

Now you've got me wondering...

I assumed that his adventures were real, but a few things seemed highly improbable to me and I wrote them off as typical things that you 'allow' in a Hollywood movie.

The cell phone and the Papa John's one struck me as highly unlikely, but the instance where he jumped into the ocean also struck me as improbable too.

Extreme cold in those waters would have produced some sort of shock response. Crippling hypothermia sets in quickly and is fatal within minutes.

Possibly someone acclimatized might be able to last longer, but not some office-dwelling New Yorker.

[–] luny_alex 11 years ago

I'm in the "it didn't happen" camp, even if at the time of viewing, I didn't realize it. I went with the flow of the movie and was happy for the characters at the end.

The thing that stands out the most as "Reasons to think this was all in his head" is the scene where, right as the Volcano erupts, the protagonist sees Sean Penn standing on top of a plane, supposedly taking photos.

[–] John-G 11 years ago

Happy to hear I am not alone in my camp!

People believe what they see too easily. Put that brain to work ppl, dont get too lazy!

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] JrnlofEddieDeezenStudies 11 years ago

If ever I needed an example of the dangers of realism fetishism…

http://rateyourmusic.com/~JrnlofEddieDeezenStudies

[–] kennyski 11 years ago

Just 2 observations why I think he did travel:

He brought a skateboard back for Cheryl's son from Iceland that he traded for Stretch Armstrong....that was not imagined.

While he was riding the bike in Iceland he "zoned out" imagining Cheryl's face in a flock of birds....he then crashed the bike and snapped out of it. So I don't think he was imagining inside of a bigger imagination.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Splarne 10 years ago

I can't believe some people can totally miss the primary point of a movie

you haven't spent much of that 9 years on imdb on the boards then....

***

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