Feature Film: Stranger Than Fiction

I was pleasantly suprised at the film "Stranger Than Fiction." Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, whose normal and boring life is thrown off course when he starts hearing a voice narrate the happenings of his daily life. I did not have high expectations of the film since I generally have not liked films that featured actors from "Saturday Night Live," though there are a few exceptions.

I think what I enjoyed the most was the fact that one of the characters was a baker and that another one was a writer. I get excited when I see things in films that I can personally relate to like career, locations, etc. I felt like I could relate to Ana Pascal, the Harvard Law student who dropped out of school to pursue a different passion. And though, I didn't drop out of college, I did leave behind my English degree to pursue my love for baking. I did cringe a bit when Ana threw a piece of dough at the wall in a fit of rage. I couldn't help but imagine the cost and labor that went down the drain. I am hoping that it was just a mound of leftover dough that could no longer be rerolled. (Note: Most cookie doughs can only be rolled out once or twice. Anymore than that and the cookies become tough.)

It was really nice to see a character on film do pastry because she loved it. Because it is not the pay, the schedule, or the (lack of) benefits that keep a person cooking all day. I feel that if you want to do well with what you do, a part of you has to at least enjoy it if not love it.

Another notable food film with an SNL actor is "Spanglish" where Adam Sandler plays a head chef at a restaurant.

I must say, though, I did find myself looking carefully at kitchens in these films to see how accurate they were.