Hey, Lars' Girlfriend Is A Real Doll

Sunday Morning Movie Reviewer David Edelstein On A Comedy That Toys With The Imagination

(CBS)  Sunday Morning movie reviewer David Edelstein says a new comedy about a doll that might be real (at least in one character's imagination) says a lot about the dividing line between fantasy and horror.

"Lars and the Real Girl" isn't a Halloween picture, but with a tweak or two it could be. It's about an emotionally backwards man played by Ryan Gosling and a sex doll called Bianca he thinks is alive. He totes her around and shows her off to his brother and sister-in-law and co-workers, and why not? She's his first girlfriend!

Now, if this were my brother I'd get him therapy and meds and try to get to the root of the delusion. But the doctor in "Lars," played by Patricia Clarkson, tells everyone to go along with the fantasy.

See, Lars had a childhood trauma, he can't form relationships, and she thinks Bianca the sex doll is like a way-station on the road to emotional autonomy. And because Lars says Bianca is religious, she and Lars don't even have premarital sex. It's a family sex-doll film!

Now, it's fun to believe in nice and healthy imaginary friends, like the invisible six-foot-rabbit Jimmy Stewart pals around with in "Harvey."

But I can't get out of my head all the movies where dolls "tell" delusional schizophrenics to take a knife and carve up the supporting cast, like the great "Dead of Night," where Michael Redgrave is a ventriloquist whose domineering dummy tells him to kill. The idea was recycled, lamely, in "Magic," with Anthony Hopkins clearly nuts from the first frame.

In "Child's Play," the doll, Chucky, actually is alive - and a homicidal maniac.

But I like movies where you don't know what's real and what's in the protagonist's head. My favorite is a little Canadian picture called "Pin," about kids whose surrogate parent is a full-size medical mannequin, easily the most chilling devil doll in modern horror.

Back to "Lars and the Real Girl": It's a howl, with a great cast. But do I buy it? Not really. You might, though. And it's a good thing for each of us to draw our own lines between healthy and unhealthy fantasy - between fantasy that helps us live in the world, and fantasy that isolates us and incubates our craziness.

This Halloween, you should see "Lars" and then "Pin," and figure out where on the spectrum you fall.

What was that, stuffed doll? You think I should I have been harder on "Lars"? That I should have butchered it?

[hermit22]

Aw come on, Edelstein, you know good and well if this were a movie about a "tightwad Jew" you would be steaming trough your ears, but since its "LARS" the "dumb blond" in the scandinavian sweater...."oh well, so what...." right? if they called him "Einstein''s son", who realy was psychotic, maybe i could cope with this beter. who is making the money on this picture?

[okinup]

Some of those fake dolls are dog gone sexxxy as all hell. But to get the ones that look real enough, they''re pretty expensive. My wife has 5,000 dollar purses, and I got this to dream about.

[tnt1954]

oh yes, all delusioanl schizophrenics are very
dangerous and violent, not like normal people
in the us armed forces, and other militaries
throughout the world, who are bent on each
other''s destruction and that of all their citizens.
why normal people are much more tolerant and
non-violent. of course, i see it now. national
alliance for the mentally ill would fry you for
this article. so would the aclu. so would the
california network of mental health clients.
also so would the americans with disabilities
act. so much peaceful scenes on tv. morality
in media? don''t make me laugh.

[tnt1954]

kids often have imaginary friends. like their
doll. hitchcock did some real spooky ones where
a little girl missed her grandmother, and the
grandma would always call her up on her play
telephone and rap for hours to her. living
in los angeles, ca all my life, and born here too,
dr. jekyll and mrs. jekyll are always trying to
cure mr. and mrs. hyde. usually the hydes win
and the jekylls are cured. it was a very
well put together article though. neurological
problems from accidents, especially car accidents
take their toll, the facts of life. gee whiz.
some people so poignantly believe in the soul
and a life hereafter. i asked a doctor that
question once. i was way in the minority.
she said the majority do believe in life after
death. i found that absolutely incredible.
my dad says he visits in his mind with his mother
and father and other relatives that have not
been alive for 40 years even more. he was an l.a.
schoolteacher for 30 years. still alive. omaha
beach survivor. i couldn''t do what he did in
a million years.

[tnt1954]

does the doll have an std though? the little
girl whose grandmother called her on her play telephone was dead. just to clarify. trigger words?
hypnotic suggestion? good old pat collins
the hip hypnotist. i really miss her, and my real
ma. adoptive ma''s, professional parents are just
too clinical. my real ma was much more fun. birth
sites are fun too. birth family blues. sometimes
the adoptee is so disappointed. but the birth
father that is found is thrilled beyond measure.
some guys have jobs that are so secret, not even
they know what they are.

[divanhopkins]

This was a great movie. Funny, but written with plot twists and great characters. Ryan Gosling should get an Oscar for this performance.

[rushman71]

Now they need to come up with a "Dolls Gone Wild" film!!!

[rushman71]

snidegrass: I hope you are not at work. You sound as if you were on some ludes!!!

[lillbet]

I think Mr. Edelstein completely missed the point with his review. Rather than talking about the movie he launched into an essay about movies with imaginary characters/scary dolls, etc. Next time Mr. Edelstein might try actually watching the film, because I''m not convinced he did. Biana, the Real Girl, of the title is merely a way for Lars to examine his fears and work his way back into society. It''s actually quite touching the way that everyone goes along with it and tries to help him. The point is not the doll, but small town America, community spirit, and how we interact. Mr. Edelstein should focus less on being a film geek and more on experiencing current films. Gosling turned in an amazing performance. The doll just sat there.