$90 Mil Ben Stiller Flop Critics Hated is a Secret Feel-Good Masterpiece

Summary

• In 2013, Ben Stiller once again made a name for himself as a filmmaker with a movie based on a short story by James Thurber.
• Despite a large budget, it barely broke even at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics.
• Nevertheless, in 2024, the story is still relevant and deserves more attention.

Ben Stiller has long been known not only as a great comedian and Hollywood actor, but also as a successful filmmaker. Here we can mention the eccentric black comedy with Jim Carrey The Cable Guy, the goofy yet cunty Zoolander franchise, or the incredibly problematic but quite catchy Tropic Thunder — Stiller's style is rather bizarre, as it is much more high-profile than Adam Sandler 's comedies, but not as iconic (okay, Zoolander is still an exception) as the films made by Judd Apatow.

And so, in 2013, Stiller directed the film that would mark the big-budget pinnacle of his filmmaking and acting career. Clearly aimed stylistically at the most prestigious festivals, as well as academic and critical acclaim, the movie was praised for its ambition upon its release. However, it was only moderately successful commercially, received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, and was soon forgotten. And yet, in 2024, the film certainly deserves redemption, for it is ultimately a rewarding and poignant story.

A Great Direction, Weak Script Movie

We're talking about The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a 2013 comedy-drama loosely based on James Thurber's short story of the same name. Ben Stiller directed and starred in the film, while Steve Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness) wrote the screenplay.

The plot follows an unremarkable and somewhat neurotic negative asset manager at Life named Walter Mitty. One day, a legendary photojournalist Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn) sends him a photo labeled 'The Quintessence of Life' that promises to be a new cover for Life. But Mitty cannot find him, so he must embark on a wild journey around the world, from Greenland to Afghanistan, to catch up with Sean and get a photo.

The movie did not impress the critics: on Rotten Tomatoes the score is only 52%. Almost everyone noted how much Stiller is a decent filmmaker, providing great visuals and editing. However, according to critics, the excellent cinematography could not give The Secret Life of Walter Mitty the status of a new cult Hollywood drama, as the plot turned out to be just another Ben Stiller romance aimed at a middle-aged audience and resembling a mediocre self-help book.

And Yet It's the Ultimate Feel-Good Story

Despite its flaws, the movie is well worth a watch, if only because of how talented a director Ben Stiller is. Every frame of the movie is carefully chosen: even though most of the filming took place in Iceland, Stiller manages to make sure that what's happening is really happening, both in the scenic vastness of Greenland and on the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. All this is accompanied by an excellent selection of music, including David Bowie and Arcade Fire.

But the script is also undeservedly underrated: Throughout the film, the viewer becomes attached to Ben Stiller's character, grows in confidence and outlook on life with him, and ends up with a feel-good story about a man getting the life he deserves.

Available Watch Options

Unfortunately, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is not currently available to stream in the United States. However, it can be either rented or purchased on almost all major platforms.

Rent — The cheapest option to rent the movie in HD quality may be offered by Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube, as the price is $3.79. You can also rent the movie for $3.99 on Apple TV, Vudu, DirecTV, and Microsoft.

Buy — The cheapest price to buy this movie is $14.99 on Apple TV, Vudu, DirecTV, Google Play, YouTube, and Microsoft. On Google Play, on the other hand, the purchase will cost a not so favorable $16.29.