Lars and the Real Girl

PG-13

Released Oct 12, 2007

1 hr. 47 min.

Comedy

Drama

Romance

List

81%

140 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Veronica G

An interesting film where a sex doll teaches us about coping mechanisms with mental illness, as well as dealing with abandonment issues.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/16/24

Full Review

Dr. Michael X A

The novelty of the doll gets old pretty quickly. Each scene is just like the one before. And the entire time you're waiting for something to happen. But nothing happens 🫤. This movie could have been awesome if at about half way through, it goes a completely different direction. Like he goes on a rampage.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Jeremiah C

The movie is a tremendously underrated story about the difficulty of overcoming tragedy and the important role a community can play in helping someone cope. A lot of people are focused on the psychosis or the sex doll, but those are simply vehicles to a very powerful narrative.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Gertrude F

I don't know how they did it, but it worked! The concept of this movie is so absurd and weird but Lars and the Real Girl is a comedy that is filled to the brim with heart and that asks us an important question about what's right, love, and what being human means.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Bob R

This is what happens when an incredible original screenplay, great actors committed to the project and a fantastic director come together. I can't imagine how this project was pitched and was actually funded, but I'm so glad it was.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/31/23

Full Review

addison a

I would give this handy cap mock film less stars if possible. It's so poorly done and off putting. I cannot believe Ryan would sign off on doing this roll. It's just sad and gross. I wanted to like the film, but this is just enabling a handy cap person in their delusions instead of actually helping them. It's really sad 😞

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/30/23

Full Review

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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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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Andrea Gronvall

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

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

Full Review

Gayle Sequeira

BFI

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

Jul 29, 2023

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

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

Rated: 4/5

Jul 20, 2023

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Whitney Brown, William Horberg, Bruce Toll, Peter Berg
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

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