OK, a movie about a guy whose girlfriend is a life-sized doll who the rest of the town accepts and embraces?
Right.
So when walking out of the premiere last night of "Lars and the Real Girl" at the Moltion Picture Academy Theatre last night, I was so surprised to find myself thinking: "What a really wonderful film." It drew me in with this incredible script and a first-rate cast headed by Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider and Patricia Clarkson.
Hard to believe it is only the second feature film for director Craig Gillepsie.
I chatted with the director, the cast and the writer before the movie.
Gillepsie told me he worked a long time to get financial backing for a movie he knew was a hard sell: It has Gosling playing a socially challenged introvert who's new girlfriend, Bianca, is a life-sized doll.
"Four years of pitching it, so we knew it was a hard sell," he says. "Nancy Oliver wrote this great script and everyone agreed that it was a beautiful script - nobody wanted to make it. Eventually Sidney Kimmel jumped on board...and took that leap of
faith."
No ome was more surprised than Oliver that her little fable got made: "I never even thought about selling it at all, I wrote it for fun. I had no expectations whatsoever and I'm completely shocked to be here. The whole thing is just like such a ride, such a trip.
For Gosling, the part of Lars Lindstrom (wasn't that the name of Cloris Leachman's never-seen hubby on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"?) was a nice departure from roles like his Oscar-nominated turn as a drug-addicted teacher in "Half Nelson."
"He's just the sweetest, nicest, most imaginative, lovely guy and you don't really read characters that are that good," Gosling says. "A lot of my time has been spent playing parts investigating the dark side, the self-destructive side of myself and of these characters. It was really nice to play somebody who doesn't really have that side."
His co-stars were unanimous in their praise of Gosling. Said Clarkson: "I found [my role] challenging and the fact that all my scenes would be with Ryan, who I knew would be a dream. I was hoping he would be and of course he turned out to be perfect."

Clarkson plays the doctor/therapist who gently helps Lars work through his illusion and she sets the tone for handling it all with great love, care and sensitivity.
"I did find the script odd and funny and it captured me," said the Emmy winning actress. "In all the work I'd done, I'd never played a therapist. I'd never played a woman so reserved which is quite difficult for me because I'm usually playing such emotional, traumatized women andthis woman is so insular and so inner and it's such an internal journey.
Paul Schneider plays Gus, Lars' brother, and I asked him if he thought the movie might be a hard sell to audiences. He didn't mince words: "It's a hard sell if audiences are interested in not at all being challenged and paying for what they've already paid for before. If they're interested in movies that are all about recouping investment and trying to play to the broadest common demoninator to do so. I think people should be going to movies to be surprised."
Gee Paul, tell me what ya really think!
As for Gosling, next up is the Peter Jackson-directed "The Lovely Bones" later this month. Since his Oscar nod earlier this year, he said the scripts have been more plentiful and of higher quality: "It picks things up - a lot. It was extremely helpful."
Gosling walked the red carpet with sister Mandy who, while close to her brother, had grown really fond of the character of Lars: "I miss Lars, my mom and I. He lived at home when it was shot it Toronto, and we talked about how much we missed Lars as a person. When we got to see the movie, we were so excited to be able to see him again. He doesn't really exist but, we want him to. We wanted to invite him over to dinner."
"Lars" opens in New York and L.A. Oct. 12 and nationwide Oct. 26.