Lars and the Real Girl

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Lars and the Real Girl

PG-13

Released Oct 12, 2007

1h 47m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

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Popcornmeter

81%

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137 Reviews

84%

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100,000+ Ratings

Extremely shy Lars (Ryan Gosling) finds it impossible to make friends or socialize. His brother (Paul Schneider) and sister-in-law (Emily Mortimer) worry about him, so when he announces that he has a girlfriend he met on the Internet, they are overjoyed. But Lars' new lady is a life-size plastic woman. On the advice of a doctor (Patricia Clarkson), his family and the rest of the community go along with his delusion.

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Critics Consensus

Lars and the Real Girl could've so easily been a one-joke movie. But the talented cast, a great script, and direction never condescends to its character or the audience.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Lars and the Real Girl not only wimps out but has also, at its heart, a fake doll that may be the least fake thing in it.

Aug 23, 2018

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Liz Hoggard

London Evening Standard

The film is often very funny. The acting is first-class, especially Gosling, who never patronises his character.

Jan 11, 2018

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Helen O'Hara

Empire Magazine

A strangely affecting romance with real heart - and another sign that Gosling is one of the best young actors around.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 20, 2008

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

It's a heartfelt film, unexpectedly making us laugh at, yet feel for, the complex, damaged main character and his hopeful real-life romance.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 6, 2023

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Gayle Sequeira

BFI

Lars and the Real Girl is a tragicomic examination of male loneliness.

Jul 29, 2023

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…plays nicely with questions about how best to deal with delusion…

Rated: 4/5

Jul 20, 2023

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Los G

Very watchable and at times very funny and very moving, but it tries to have it all ways - raising lots of issues that it then fails to follow through (or drops in order to shape a fairly obvious ending).

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

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Nicola F

This was so wonderfully done, a really different exploration of loneliness, childhood trauma and fear of abandonment. It’s so much deeper than a s*x doll comedy. Surprised how much I enjoyed it. Acting is superb.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

Full Review

Josh T

Super wholesome and heartwarming.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/25

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Rhyan D

A kind and lovely film. Ryan Gosling is truly one of the greatest actors of this generation!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/11/25

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Griffith J.

Awkward & strange in a bittersweet way. A great screenplay & Gosling’s acting bring a silly idea into something meaningful & unique. A calm, kind perspective on mental illness with a moving message of community.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/03/25

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rebecca l

This is such a touching movie. Yeah it has a real doll but stop being so dramatic.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/23/25

Full Review

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Craig Gillespie

Director

Ryan Gosling

Lars

Paul Schneider

Gus

Emily Mortimer

Karin

Patricia Clarkson

Dagmar

Kelli Garner

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Synopsis

Extremely shy Lars (Ryan Gosling) finds it impossible to make friends or socialize. His brother (Paul Schneider) and sister-in-law (Emily Mortimer) worry about him, so when he announces that he has a girlfriend he met on the Internet, they are overjoyed. But Lars' new lady is a life-size plastic woman. On the advice of a doctor (Patricia Clarkson), his family and the rest of the community go along with his delusion.

Director: Craig Gillespie
Producer: Sarah Aubrey, John Cameron, Sidney Kimmel
Screenwriter: Nancy Oliver
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sex-Related Content)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 12, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 17, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.9M
Runtime: 1h 47m

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