Stranger Than Fiction – I think from time to time, my own life seems stranger than fiction. Perhaps you can relate. I recently watched the Will Farrell movie, Stranger than Fiction and it caused me to pause and reflect. Perhaps you are one of the few people who saw Stranger than Fiction in the theater when it was released late in 2006. It was the #75 box office film of 2006 so apparently movie watchers stayed away in droves. I would suggest to you that although the movie may lack somewhat in pure entertainment value, it is worthy of an hour and half of your time for the philosophical questions it may cause you to ask yourself. At $5 to rent the DVD and your own snacks prepared at home, it an evening well spent.
Just in case you don’t know the story, let me give you a brief synopsis. Will Farrell plays IRS agent Howard Crick. Howard’s vanilla life is the very picture of mundane. Seemingly ruled by his watch, he gets up at the same time each day, ties his tie in a half Windsor to save time, takes the same route to the bus stop where he catches the same bus to his job where he does the same thing over and over each day. About the time that Howard is assigned to audit the tax return of a pretty young baker played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, he begins to hear a voice in his head. Amazingly, the voice in Howard’s head seems to be narrating his life. This could be maddening enough, but then the narrator in Howard’s head says, "Little did he [Howard] know that this simple seeming innocuous task would result in his imminent death.” This of course causes some angst for Howard especially in light of his new personal love interest in his most recent tax audit client.
Although any story about someone facing their own mortality causes self-reflection, perhaps the most thought provoking scene in Stranger than Fiction occurs between Howard Crick and Professor Jules Hilbert, played by Dustin Hoffman. Howard sought out Professor Hilbert in an attempt to help him figure out who is narrating Howard’s life; the idea being that if Howard knows who the narrator (played by Emma Thompson) is, he can contact her and ask her to change the ending.
Professor Hilbert – “This narrator might very well kill you so I humbly suggest that you just forget all this and go and live your life.”
Harold – “Go live my life? I am living my life. I’d like to continue to live my life.”
Professor Hilbert – “I know. Of course! I mean ALL of it! However long you have left. Howard, you could use it to have an adventure, or invent something, or just finish reading Crime and Punishment. Hell Howard, you could just eat nothing but pancakes if you want.”
Harold – “What’s wrong with you!?! I don’t want to eat nothing but pancakes! I want to live! Who in their right mind given the choice between living and pancakes would choose pancakes?
Professor Hilbert – “Howard, if you pause to think, I believe that you would realize that answer is inextricably contingent on the type of life being lived and of course the quality of the pancakes. You don’t understand what I’m saying?
Harold – “Yes I do. But you have to understand that this isn’t a philosophy, or literary theory, or a story to me. It’s my life.”
Professor Hilbert – “Absolutely! So just go and make it the one you’ve always wanted!”
This short exchange between Harold and Professor Hilbert raises a few thoughts we should all consider.
If you knew you were going to die, would you live your life differently? News flash – you are going to die. The way you spend minutes determines the quality of your hours. The way you spend your hours, determines the quality of your days. They way you live your days, determines the quality of your life.
Are you living ALL of your life? Too often we are waiting for “someday” to start living. Or we compartmentalize our lives and live for the weekend or for vacation. I would encourage you to live ALL your life and that starts right now. It includes when you are at work or in the store, or commuting. Live ALL of your life to the maximum. As Professor Hilbert points out, you could have an adventure, invent something or even just finish a good book.
How does your life compare to a really good meal. If a stack of really good pancakes seems more attractive than living your life, it is definitely time to make some changes. Given the choice between your life and a mouth watering meal, the choice may in fact be inextricably contingent on the type of life being lived. How appetizing is your life?
This is your life. It isn’t philosophy, or literary theory. This is your one shot. Why not just go and make it the life that you’ve always wanted?
What are you passionate about? What are you doing about it?
Just in case you don’t know the story, let me give you a brief synopsis. Will Farrell plays IRS agent Howard Crick. Howard’s vanilla life is the very picture of mundane. Seemingly ruled by his watch, he gets up at the same time each day, ties his tie in a half Windsor to save time, takes the same route to the bus stop where he catches the same bus to his job where he does the same thing over and over each day. About the time that Howard is assigned to audit the tax return of a pretty young baker played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, he begins to hear a voice in his head. Amazingly, the voice in Howard’s head seems to be narrating his life. This could be maddening enough, but then the narrator in Howard’s head says, "Little did he [Howard] know that this simple seeming innocuous task would result in his imminent death.” This of course causes some angst for Howard especially in light of his new personal love interest in his most recent tax audit client.
Although any story about someone facing their own mortality causes self-reflection, perhaps the most thought provoking scene in Stranger than Fiction occurs between Howard Crick and Professor Jules Hilbert, played by Dustin Hoffman. Howard sought out Professor Hilbert in an attempt to help him figure out who is narrating Howard’s life; the idea being that if Howard knows who the narrator (played by Emma Thompson) is, he can contact her and ask her to change the ending.
Professor Hilbert – “This narrator might very well kill you so I humbly suggest that you just forget all this and go and live your life.”
Harold – “Go live my life? I am living my life. I’d like to continue to live my life.”
Professor Hilbert – “I know. Of course! I mean ALL of it! However long you have left. Howard, you could use it to have an adventure, or invent something, or just finish reading Crime and Punishment. Hell Howard, you could just eat nothing but pancakes if you want.”
Harold – “What’s wrong with you!?! I don’t want to eat nothing but pancakes! I want to live! Who in their right mind given the choice between living and pancakes would choose pancakes?
Professor Hilbert – “Howard, if you pause to think, I believe that you would realize that answer is inextricably contingent on the type of life being lived and of course the quality of the pancakes. You don’t understand what I’m saying?
Harold – “Yes I do. But you have to understand that this isn’t a philosophy, or literary theory, or a story to me. It’s my life.”
Professor Hilbert – “Absolutely! So just go and make it the one you’ve always wanted!”
This short exchange between Harold and Professor Hilbert raises a few thoughts we should all consider.
If you knew you were going to die, would you live your life differently? News flash – you are going to die. The way you spend minutes determines the quality of your hours. The way you spend your hours, determines the quality of your days. They way you live your days, determines the quality of your life.
Are you living ALL of your life? Too often we are waiting for “someday” to start living. Or we compartmentalize our lives and live for the weekend or for vacation. I would encourage you to live ALL your life and that starts right now. It includes when you are at work or in the store, or commuting. Live ALL of your life to the maximum. As Professor Hilbert points out, you could have an adventure, invent something or even just finish a good book.
How does your life compare to a really good meal. If a stack of really good pancakes seems more attractive than living your life, it is definitely time to make some changes. Given the choice between your life and a mouth watering meal, the choice may in fact be inextricably contingent on the type of life being lived. How appetizing is your life?
This is your life. It isn’t philosophy, or literary theory. This is your one shot. Why not just go and make it the life that you’ve always wanted?
What are you passionate about? What are you doing about it?
2 comments:
How does something this profound not get a comment.
Toby - I enjoy reading these - you need to know.
Your Canadian friend,
Toby -
You insired me to rent the movie tis weekend. Wached it with the family and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for the tip.
Steve
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