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Lars and the Real Girl

Play trailer Poster for Lars and the Real Girl PG-13 2007 1h 47m Comedy Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 137 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 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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Lars and the Real Girl

Lars and the Real Girl

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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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Critics Reviews

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Deborah Ross The Spectator 08/23/2018
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. Go to Full Review Liz Hoggard London Evening Standard 01/11/2018
The film is often very funny. The acting is first-class, especially Gosling, who never patronises his character. Go to Full Review Helen O'Hara Empire Magazine 03/20/2008
4/5
A strangely affecting romance with real heart - and another sign that Gosling is one of the best young actors around. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 09/06/2023
3/4
It's a heartfelt film, unexpectedly making us laugh at, yet feel for, the complex, damaged main character and his hopeful real-life romance. Go to Full Review Gayle Sequeira BFI 07/29/2023
Lars and the Real Girl is a tragicomic examination of male loneliness. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 07/20/2023
4/5
…plays nicely with questions about how best to deal with delusion… Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Doug A Oct 22 Really loved this movie. Gosling gives such a great, deep, performance. See more Wayne K Sep 1 One of those fantastic little-known gems that get overlooked at the time but grace many an underrated films list in the years after release, Lars & The Real Girl is a quirky and affecting comedy drama that hits so hard because it takes the time to develop its character and never goes for cheap ands easy emotional shortcuts. There were so many things the film could have done that might get a big reaction at the time but would render it trite and predictable. It’s a story that demonstrates the power and influence of the community spirit, and how it takes a village to raise a child, just like it takes one to bring a lonely soul out of the doldrums. Ryan Gosling is a great to choice to play the lead, not just because he has incredible range as an actor, but because it serves to demonstrate that, just because you’re good looking, that doesn’t mean you’ll have the world at your feet. There’s a real authenticity to way the characters talk, behave and even dress. No one is trying to look glam or flashy to stand out, they’re real people who live real lives, and when the emotional moments hit, they land all the harder because they feel both real and earned. If Her is a love story for the digital age, the Lars & The Real Girl is a love story for the age which immediately preceded it, and one I would highly recommend you check out when you get the chance. See more Los G Aug 12 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). See more Nicola F Aug 12 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. See more Josh T Aug 11 Super wholesome and heartwarming. See more Rhyan D Jul 11 A kind and lovely film. Ryan Gosling is truly one of the greatest actors of this generation! See more Read all reviews
Lars and the Real Girl

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Cast & Crew

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Craig Gillespie

Director

Ryan Gosling

Lars

Paul Schneider

Gus

Emily Mortimer

Karin

Patricia Clarkson

Dagmar

Kelli Garner

Margo

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Lars and the Real Girl

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Movie Info

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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