Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy |.
Stranger than Fiction is a American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Marc Forster, produced by Lindsay Doran, and written by Zach Helm. The film stars Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, and Emma Thompson. The main plot follows Harold Crick (Ferrell), an IRS worker who begins hearing a disembodied voice narrating his life as it happens – seemingly the text of a novel in which it is stated that he, the main character, will soon die – and he frantically seeks to somehow prevent that ending.
The film was shot on location in Chicago, and has been praised for its innovative, intelligent story and fine performances. Ferrell, who came to prominence playing brash comedic parts, garnered particular attention for offering a restrained performance in his first starring dramatic role.
Harold Crick, an agent for the Internal Revenue Service, is a lonely man who lives his life by his wristwatch. He is assigned to audit an intentionally tax-delinquent baker, Ana Pascal, to whom he is attracted. On the same day, he begins hearing the voice of a woman omnisciently narrating his life as if he were a main character in a novel, but is unable to communicate with it. Harold’s watch stops working and he resets it using the time given by a bystander; the voice narrates, “little did he know that this simple, seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death”. Worried by this prediction, Harold consults a psychiatrist who attributes the voice to schizophrenia, though they consider that, if there really is a narrator, he should visit an expert in literature. Crick visits Jules Hilbert, a literature professor, and relates his story. When Jules recognizes aspects of a literary work in Harold’s story, he encourages Harold to identify the author, first by determining if the work is a comedy or tragedy.
Director: Marc Forster
Writer: Zach Helm
Stars: Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Queen Latifah, Tony Hale, Linda Hunt
Cast:
| Will Ferrell | … | Harold Crick |
| William Dick | … | IRS Co-Worker #1 |
| Guy Massey | … | IRS Co-Worker #2 |
| Martha Espinoza | … | IRS Co-Worker #3 |
| T.J. Jagodowski | … | IRS Co-Worker #4 |
| Peter Grosz | … | IRS Co-Worker #5 |
| Ricky Adams | … | Young Boy |
| Christian Stolte | … | Young Boy’s Father |
| Denise Hughes | … | Kronecker Bus Driver |
| Peggy Roeder | … | Polish Woman |
| Tonray Ho | … | IRS Co-Worker #6 |
| Tony Hale | … | Dave |
| Maggie Gyllenhaal | … | Ana Pascal |
| Danny Rhodes | … | Bakery Employee #1 |
| Helen Young | … | Bakery Customer #1 |
| David Pompeii | … | Bakery Customer #2 |
| Linara Washington | … | Bakery Employee #2 |
| Larry Neumann Jr. | … | Homeless Man |
| Emma Thompson | … | Karen Eiffel |
| John Mohrlein | … | Man with Hose |
| Queen Latifah | … | Penny Escher |
| Tom Hulce | … | Dr. Cayly |
| Bruce Jarchow | … | Commuter |
| Linda Hunt | … | Dr. Mittag-Leffler |
| Dustin Hoffman | … | Professor Jules Hilbert |
| Kristin Chenoweth | … | Book Channel Host |
| Bradley Mott | … | Large Man on Bus |
| John M. Watson Sr. | … | TV Author (as John Watson Sr.) |
| David Wiegers | … | Bakery Customer #3 |
| Jarrett Sleeper | … | Bakery Customer #4 |
| Karen Lloyd | … | Customer with Tan |
| Keith Kupferer | … | Demolition Foreman |
| Danny McCarthy | … | Demolition Crew #1 |
| Tab Baker | … | Demolition Crew #2 |
| Mark Buettner | … | Claw Operator |
| Christian Young | … | ER Doctor #1 |
| Arraon Skippa Hixson | … | Young Man Patient (as Arraon Hixson) |
| Bryan Kelly | … | ER Orderly |
| Whitney Sneed | … | ER Nurse #1 |
| Ray Kurut | … | ER Doctor #2 |
| Celeste Pechous | … | ER Nurse #2 |
| Michael Cook | … | ER Doctor #3 |
| Cheryl Lynn Bruce | … | Head ER Nurse |
| Chet Dubowski | … | Man in Tweed |
| Ora Jones | … | Banneker Press Receptionist |
| Jordan Keller | … | Grocer |
| Herb Lichtenstein | … | IRS Co-Worker #7 |
| Stacey Elaine Jackson | … | IRS Co-Worker #8 (as Stacey Jackson) |
| Jordan Teplitz | … | Old Man on Phone |
| Ricardo Gutiérrez | … | Bus Company Manager |
| James Mazza | … | Irritated Man on Bus |
| Oscar Roxas | … | Another Man on Bus |
| Nadirah Bost | … | Accident Witness |
| Sandra Marquez | … | Accident Witness |
| Lacy Katherine Campbell | … | Accident Witness (as Lacy Coil) |
| Will Clinger | … | Accident Witness |
| Al Samuels | … | Accident Witness (as Albert Samuels) |
| Frank Caeti | … | Accident Witness |
| Andrew Rothenberg | … | Doctor Mercator |
| Rengin Altay | … | Nurse |
| Lucinda Kemp | … | Bus Operator #1 |
| Donna Watkins | … | Bus Operator #2 |
| Julien Heron | … | Animal Footage Voice Over (voice) |
| Lora Cain | … | Animal Footage Voice Over (voice) |
| Bob Papenbrook | … | Animal Footage Voice Over (voice) |
| Mike McColl | … | Animal Footage Voice Over (voice) |
| Anouk Aimée | … | Anne Gauthier |
| Terry Jones | … | Mr. Creosote |
| Jean-Louis Trintignant | … | Jean-Louis Duroc |
| Nathan Adloff | … | Bakery Patron (uncredited) |
| Holly Barrett | … | Truck Driver (uncredited) |
| Rishi Chitkara | … | Student (uncredited) |
| John Cleese | … | Waiter (uncredited) |
| Kimber Closson | … | Extra (uncredited) |
| Edy Cullen | … | Business Women (uncredited) |
| Sue Durso | … | IRS Agent (uncredited) |
| Nick Ferrin | … | Student (uncredited) |
| Reese Foster | … | IRS Agent (uncredited) |
| Andrea Frisby | … | Commuter (uncredited) |
| Alex Gil | … | College Student (uncredited) |
| Judy Carmen Gonzalez | … | IRS Employee (uncredited) |
| Eli Goodman | … | Augustus Chatman (uncredited) |
| Cheryl Graeff | … | Secretary (uncredited) |
| Carlyn Janus | … | Driver (uncredited) |
| Bob Kolbey | … | Professor Polo (uncredited) |
| Tim Krueger | … | Business Man (uncredited) |
| Debra Langland | … | Nosy Lady at Accident (uncredited) |
| Jamie Louachai | … | Movie Patron / El Passenger (uncredited) |
| Lori Miller | … | Woman with Dog (uncredited) |
| Sergio Mojica | … | Business Person (uncredited) |
| Sia A. Moody | … | Nurse #3 (uncredited) |
| Steven Hugh Nelson | … | College Student (uncredited) |
| Kevin Pitcairn | … | White Guy with Asian Woman (uncredited) |
| Zachary Spangler | … | Bus passenger (uncredited) |
| January Stern | … | Bus Riding Mom (uncredited) |
| Ron Valdez | … | Orderly (uncredited) |
| Andrea N. Winters | … | IRS Worker (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia