Walter Mitty and the Process of Fundamental Change 

I think some people may have just hung up a bit too much on the overly absurd dreaming that Walter does. The Benjamin Button one and the one where he fight beard guy over Stretch Armstrong are just a little too much. If you can get past that and really get into Walter's journey it's an amazing movie. For me it was the music that got my attention to this movie. Some of the soundtrack popped up on my youtube recommendation and that lead me to the movie's trailer and I just had to see it.

For me there are layers of easily relatable significance - it seems to capture so many elements of the task of being human. A lovely movie. I only saw it for the first time last year, and then watched it again the following night - I don't think I've ever done that with another movie.

Agree. This movie has probably made one of the biggest impacts on me. It’s incredible in its simplicity.

People really freaked out over the papa John's product placement and everything else went over their heads.

Maybe it was because this movie was completely right about it thoughts, beautiful things don't ask for attention

Same here, it was life-changing for me.

@@kevincoyle8438 late reply. But this movie quite literally saved my life. I was in a dark place when I first watched it, and it gave me a new perspective. I will always be thankful for that

@@Sleeepehead right on!

@@Sleeepehead SAME!!! Well, not so much the movie at first, but I loved it when I first saw it back in like 2016. 2 years ago I watched a RU-vid video discussing how Walter Mitty suffers from "maladaptive daydreaming". I had the same issues. That very awareness caused me to sink even deeper to the very bottom of the darkest part of my life. Now, I use the movie as my inspiration to live my best life! I even have a print of the photo of Sean O'Connell photo that was at Walter's desk at my desk. I want to hear your story! Could you please tell me here or even privately how it changed your life? No pressure, I am genuiney interested in your story! I wish you all the best!

Same here I've had this movie about 5 years before watching it, have watched it more than a dozen times since.

Did you come to this conclusion yourself? Mind-blowing. Good job.

This is one of my fav movie.. but what u said gave a whole another perspective.. gonna watch it again

Tangerines are better than Oranges (like that name despite its dubious claim 😉), I don't know how many times I've seen this movie but I love analysing it and continue to discover new things about it. A movie that you can return to and find new deeper meanings are the types of movies I enjoy watching. Indeed, the movies that inspire us all have one thing in common: their protagonists go through fundamental change. Transformation is at the heart of story. There are characters who inadvertently align with the goal of the protagonist and there are others who stand in direct opposition to it. This is a fact of life: some people help us to grow and others hold us back. As this video alludes to, the decisions we make, even at a basic level, help to shape the people we become. Compare the grey, beige and metallic blue of Walter's world with its linear lines and his lethargy within these restrictive settings with the Marvel-like colour and dynamism of his daydream world and the vast natural landscapes that occur later in the film. In the beginning, Walter is almost like an extra rather than a hero. Out of sight or focus and hidden away in the background. Timid and withdrawn. All of this stems back to his emotional wound that he had to sacrifice his life in order to financially look after his family. What is the very first thing that we see? Walter is doing his accounts, and much like the metaphor of the piano, this weighs down on him. He feels that there is nothing noteworthy about his life because he didn't become the person he thought he'd become. His backpack and travel diary are metaphors of abandoned dreams. He mistakenly believes that he has turned into someone he doesn't admire and to compensate, he retreats into his daydream world where he acts out his fantasy of who he could've become. What Walter fails to realise initially is that our quintessence never leaves us, regardless of where we end up. Look at the poetry falcon daydream in Act One and see how Walter is depicted in his subconscious and see how Walter transforms into essentially that exact same person when he comes back from ungoverned Afghanistan. Every time he visits the daydream world , he denies the person he truly is. The song that launches him into the Second Act (full of blue and red symbolism similar to the Matrix and note how this extends to his wardrobe choices) is Wake Up but this is a gradual transformation of existential awakening. The final image in the Life office before he takes off to Greenland (literally a place of new beginning like the season of spring) is an allusion to Major Tom. Remember the song in the elevator (Mind Over Matter) and how Cheryl describes the meaning of Major Tom. Walter is afraid of letting people see the real him (he is a Negative Asset manager) and notice how his workplace is located in the lower floors in darkness or obscurity if you like. Look at the photo of ungoverned Afghanistan and the peak is bathed in light. In a way, Walter shines a light on his soul when Sean gives him that epiphany: be the person you've always been. Allow people to see you for who you truly are. Compare that to when Walter shows his skateboard tricks to Cheryl's son and she has her back to him. When he does finally fulfil his desire to make contact with her, conversation is awkward at best. That's because he truly believes he has nothing noteworthy to offer up. Part of Life's motto is to draw closer and Cheryl states to Walter when he's standing outside Papa John's in Iceland that she was hoping they'd connect. Walter can't do that if he keeps retreating into his daydream world and avoiding the moment and his true self. So I have certainly learned things from reading and listening to other people's comments but, as you can tell from me rambling on, this movie is one of my favourites and it has had a profound impact on my life because it has a lot of deep insights that really get to the core of living. Don't be the person you'd like yourself to be or what you imagine other people would like you to be. Just be yourself and let your quintessence shine through. 😁

You know, that just might have been not just a better title, but the best title for the movie. I looked at it as a modern remake of the Danny Kaye movie, and I guess it was in that it used the same dramatic structure. But watching this essay, it seems to me that it is more than just a character overcoming his shyness, standing up to the challenges of the world, and getting the girl in the end. As much as I enjoyed the Danny Kaye original, it was for that reason, of having seen this movie before, that I didn't feel compelled to find the time to see it when it came out.

That's well said my friend. Especially those last lines ❤

It wasn't a bad movie. Always liked Ben. Just... Rose colored lenses. I'm guessing you still believe in people. Wish I could say the same. Been through the wringer and what not. Not saying I'm blameless, it is my life after all, but this one gave me a bad taste of naivety, all said and done.

@@ilovebutterstuff Watched it recently, and it was beautiful. It was the last movie of an Era, with the 90s and 00s over, feel good movies are done... Punch Drunk Love is another favorite of mine. This movie isn't well liked by many, but it was made for few.

@@qownson4410 --- Punch Drunk Love? With Adam Sandler? Thought it was okay, as I can attest Adam is an honest to God good person, just liked Billy Madison a lot more.

@@qownson4410 --- BTW, I really think The Heartbreak Kid and Tropic Thunder is some of his best work. I've been known to burst out Tourettes style in the middle of Walmart, P-P-P-PLEASE D-D-DON'T H-H-H-HURT MEEEE! 🤣🤣🤣

@@qownson4410 The one movie that made a huge impact in my life was "Joe vs. The Volcano" with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. I was in a dark place and I could easily identify with the main character.

What I got from this comment is that those language courses will hire literally anyone regardless of how prepared they are to take on the job, lol. Just kidding, it's a great story and it sounds like a great experience. It even entices me to look into it, as my native language is Spanish (I'm Argentinean) but I've spoken perfect English since I was a teen and have been working as an English↔Spanish translator for a little over 10 years. Similarly to you, I started working with no experience as a translator nor a degree in translation because I saw a side banner on Facebook about a company looking for Spanish-Portuguese translators, and figured there would also be websites looking for English-Spanish translators. I did a quick Google search and passed the first test right then and there. That little moment online also defined the next 10 years of my life.

Great story!

Wonderful! Congrats!

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!

What a great story!

Keep going!

great

Wait until you see Severance. He is the creator of that show.

Deep down we are all introverts - extroverts are really introverts deep down when things go wrong

I feel you

Sometimes a certain movie will do that .

Thanks, Jonah! Was there a particular principle in the review that you found most relevant?

And the children’s book, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty

I think the story elevates the McGuffin because in the end it plays a final part of Walter's story, the reward he didn't know he wanted: not being taken for granted and not being ignored.

a what?