The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

PG

Released Dec 25, 2013

1h 54m

Comedy

Adventure

Fantasy

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Popcornmeter

52%

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196 Reviews

71%

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50,000+ Ratings

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.

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Critics Consensus

It doesn't lack for ambition, but The Secret Life of Walter Mitty fails to back up its grand designs with enough substance to anchor the spectacle.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

With such high aims, it's too bad that 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' falls somewhat short of greatness. But it's not often that you come across a "big" movie as earnest and patently un-cynical as this one.

Jun 19, 2016

Full Review

Dana Stevens

Slate

Stiller's attempt to braid together introspection and humor kept me engaged and curious, even when I wasn't quite sure what he was setting out to do.

Jan 1, 2014

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty probably succeeds on its own terms. Given the elusive nature of those terms, it is, however, hard to tell for certain.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 1, 2014

Full Review

Emiliano Basile

EscribiendoCine

While not genial, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty recaptures the charm of hopeful stories by giving a comedy twist... [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

Dec 11, 2023

Full Review

Wael Khairy

The Cairo Scene

I admire the film’s originality, and the thought-provoking twist ending, but daydream of a deeper director’s cut.

Sep 23, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Less about Walter Mitty’s secret life than his actual, perfectly romantic, impossibly realized adventures, the film loses itself in a fantasy world all its own and never fully embraces the everyday balance of reality and imagination.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 19, 2022

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Alexsander F

Beautiful film! It has a great story and a somewhat far-fetched script, but that's how adventures are told! An absolute stunner!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

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Audience Member

A predictable film that was a lot of fun from start to finish. Sean Penn was cast absolutely perfectly, he radiates the right energy. 3/5 stars.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/01/25

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Ike H.

Literal, absolutePerfection

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

Full Review

Gregory E.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) This is one of my favorite movies. Ben Stiller plays Walter Mitty, a quiet negative assets manager at Life magazine who often escapes into imaginative daydreams. Watching him grow from a cautious dreamer to someone who takes real-life adventures is inspiring and heartfelt. I have a personal connection because I visited one of the filming locations in Iceland. The café featured in the movie was transformed for a scene, and seeing it in person — along with a photo of Ben Stiller inside — made the film even more memorable for me. The cinematography, soundtrack, and story all come together beautifully. It’s a thoughtful reminder to take chances and enjoy life. For me, this movie is a true favorite.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/16/25

Full Review

Greg R

One of my favorites. Maybe the critical critics missed the point that sometimes a movie is vehicle for the audience to escape – This warm, adventurous flick provided quite a ride.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/25

Full Review

Bryan I

Walter jumping into the helicopter is one of the greatest, most inspiring scenes ever!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/08/25

Full Review

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Ben Stiller

Director

Ben Stiller

Walter Mitty

Kristen Wiig

Cheryl

Shirley MacLaine

Edna

Adam Scott

Ted Hendricks

Kathryn Hahn

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Synopsis

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.

Director: Ben Stiller
Producer: Samuel Goldwyn Jr., John Goldwyn, Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller
Screenwriter: Steve Conrad
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Red Hour Productions, Samuel Goldwyn Films
Rating: PG (Language|Action/Violence|Some Crude Comments)
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $58.2M
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby

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