I think Zoe Kazan did a great job scripting this movie, and I do feel an affinity with her and the role Paul Dano plays as a struggling writer.  Maybe it’s because it just hits home in a way because I also consider myself to be a writer and teller of stories, and this movie definitely hits home for me in more ways than one.

I think there’s a lot of pressure as a writer.  You need to have the ability to create characters that people care about and a story that people can invest themselves in.  There’s also the challenge of once you’ve written one successful product, to be able to always at least meet the bar you’ve set for yourself, though ideally you’d want to surpass it and raise it higher each time.

I’ve seen quite a few independent films and this has become one of my favorites since 500 Days of Summer (2009) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006).  Even though we know Kazan’s character, Ruby, is still a fictional character (despite the fact that she has become a living, breathing person that thinks and feels), you can’t help but hope that everything works out for her and Dano’s character in the end.  And it sort of does.

While the movie does get a little bizarre in places (but what indie film doesn’t have those kind of moments?), I was impressed with the overall product.  I don’t know how successful it will be in the long run, or if it will get a wide release date, but I really hope more people get a chance to see this film.  Sure the premise may be a bit corny, but I think the real selling point of the film is that it was written by someone who isn’t a big name in the industry who still managed to tell a great story.  I think this film is really an encouragement to writers everywhere.  It’s definitely been an encouragement to me that someday I could have the chance to write the script for a movie or plug out that bestselling novel, even if I’m not a big shot in the industry.

If there was a location closer to my house showing this film, I’d definitely go and see it again.  If anything, I think it’s worth at least a one-time watch, and I also think it’s one of those movies where it does feel completely worth it to pay the ticket and watch it in theaters.

FINAL VERDICT: A-

I’m not entirely sure I would call this a classic, but I was definitely pleased with my overall experience.  It’s fun, it’s quirky, and it’s everything I personally look for in an indie flick.  There were a few places of course that could have been fleshed out more, but at the same time I don’t think it really matters in the end.

Catch this one if you can.  If anything, it’s the perfect movie for if you’re in the mood to just watch something simple and unwind.  🙂