The greater good of art??? I thought the whole setup made us care for Crick even more and want for him to live. For him to die just for a story is a shame, even though it is a great way to die.

Kind of changes the entire tone of the movie, too. Instead of a bunch of likeable and quirky characters, you get 2 assholes and one idiot.

I wouldn't have seen it as a shame. I liked that Crick accepted the fact that he was going to die; he knew he was going to die, and ultimately came to peace with it. After he read the story the author wrote (which he spent an entire friggin' day on a bus reading because it was that brilliant) he was suddenly persuaded and convinced to die for the greater good of art (her book). The English professor hailed her story as the best thing she ever wrote, and essentially something that would go down as what we consider "great art" in history. When she re-wrote it, it had nothing near the same effect.

Ultimately, we spend this entire film with Crick freaking out about how a voice predicted his death, and then he doesn't die! I was so disappointed. At first Crick was enormously disturbed by the thought, but then, like I said, he accepted it. It just seemed so right to me. It's my opinion, and the ending just did not sit right with me. That last hospital bit totally ruined the mood the film had going.

Peace,
Mike.

*spoiler*




I thought the fact that he lived was a MUCH more surprising and effective ending than if he died. I was certain he was going to die the entire movie, and was actually shocked when he lived. I don't mind unhappy endings, but to have him die didn't make a lot of sense to me and did not seem poignant... it would have seemed cheap and completely unnecessary. You do not have to die for great art, and life is more valuable than art.

And, I was thinking exactly what Squee said about if he had died it would have just made you think Hoffman and Thompson were complete jackasses while Ferrell would be a dumbass. Of course, I only thought of this after I read Squee's post, but I did think of it... weird. It's like we're twins. Anyhow... it is true.

I like an unhappy ending as much as the next guy, but I don't think it would have worked as well in this movie and would have sent an odd message... that art is more important than life.

Well this does bring up an interesting concept. Is art more important than life? Obviously, in my opinion, without art (and Im throwing everything "entertainment" wise into the category of art, it's basically just the creative side, the desire for something more) life is pointless. But at the end of the movie it left me thinking, is one piece of fiction, albeit a masterpiece, more important than the life of Crick? Where is the line drawn?

Or maybe it isn't that interesting of a concept and I am really just uninteresting/dumb.

That's my point. I would not have seen it as an "unhappy ending". I did not, and would not, have construed his death that way. I found a sense of resolution and peace in Crick's ultimate contentment with leaving the earth. He was no longer a dull, neurotic fool, but someone who had now woken up, experienced love, and was a happier person in life. He knew he could accept his death after reading the story. It worked for him and for me.

It's much like The Hours. People often state that it is such a depressing movie, but when Richard commits suicide at the end, it is the point of the film when things are opened up and characters become happier and it's supposed to be an uplifting finish to an otherwise seemingly depressing film.

Peace,
Mike.

I finally saw this on DVD and was very surprised, mostly because I am not a fan of Will Farrell. He was quite good.

Without repeating all that has been said before, I basically agree with Tony -- I like the concept that a person's life is more important than art, and that Emma Thompson's character realizes this. It may be the change for her too; she is even more unhappy than Farrell's character. She actually kind of smiles in the end.

EDIT: Just pulled this off of IMDB. Interesting!:

Various references to The Beatles. Among them, Green Apple, Will Ferrell crosses the street ala the Abbey Road album cover, he's a Taxman, Karen Eiffel is a writer (paperback writer) and her assistant is named Penny, Everyone is running for cover, i.e. "When the Rain comes the run and hide their heads they might as well be dead," except Karen. Also, when Harold goes to the phone in the plaza the old guy using it is telling the operator that his daughter's name is Mrs Epstein, as in, Brian Epstein. The guitar Harold gets is exactly like one John Lennon used.

Amazing movie. It was sweet, touching, funny and it flowed very well. I'm not the biggest Will Ferrell fan but he was great here as was the entire supporting cast (especially Thompson). I was surprised that he didn't died at the end but I thought that was a really nice way to end the movie. I would have been pissed of if the movie ended otherwise. A-

I'm actually really surprised I gave it a B the first time I saw it... Must've been expecting another Ferrell film too much

It's one of the best and most memorable of last year, and for my money if I had to pick films that people are going to be crazy about 20 years from now, this would be right up there on the list for 06.

It's probably hinging on my top 100 by now

8/10 -> B

Considering it features Will Ferrell (who's probably the most annoying person in show business today) the movie is surprisingly very good and entertaining. The very original premise is a bit underdeveloped but still the movie as a whole works very well together.

Looking at the comments about how the book that was being written was not good (because he's life wasn't that interesting) I'm more inclined to think that she didn't write the book about his life as it was. It was just that the bits and pieces that she "guessed" somehow transcended the barrier of reality and fiction and unfortunately for Harold his imminent death was one of the things she thus "controlled".

The biggest complaint goes to Maggie Gyllenhaal and her character. The whole love angle never really clicked that well for me and Maggie felt uninterested into her character.

Remains one of KJ's most over-rated films... many seem to be rating the superb idea behind the movie, rather than the mediocre movie itself...