Ruby Sparks
Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Benning, Antonio Banderas, Elliot Gould, Alia Shawkat
Directed By Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Rated: R
Run time: 104 minutes
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Fantasy
Opens Friday, August 3 2012
By Lisa Minzey
Hello Fellow Movie Goers! RubySparksis the screening we checked out this week and this is a gem of a movie.
Prodigy writer Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) has hit a wall of writers block. His first novel was a colossal success; some critics even are calling it the next “Great American Classic”. Fellow writer Langdon Tharpe (Steve Coogan) secretly wishes he had one ounce of the talent that Calvin has, but loves to make underhand remarks about Calvin to help feed his own inflated ego.
One would assume, with that level of success, which would be every young man’s dream. Calvin is not like other men his age. He’s a recluse, anxious and still reeling from a 5 year relationship ending soon after his father’s death. Calvin has a difficult time letting go of feeling, situations and preconceived notions, which he seeks out therapy for from, Dr. Rosenthal (Elliot Gould). Following the good doctor’s suggestion to overcome his writer’s block by start writing, write anything, no matter how awful it is, just as long as you’re writing. Calvin has been having vivid dreams as of late, so he starts writing about this girl he meets when out with his dog. The more he writes about this “dream girl”, the more Calvin finds himself falling in love with everything about her. His brother Harry (Chris Messina) chastises Calvin for not writing this girl in a realistic light; women are, simply not like this. To men, women are strange, moody creatures that are difficult to comprehend. Undeterred by his brother’s critique, he continues writing….
Until one morning, he awakes to find that his dream girl Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan) is standing in his kitchen, waiting to make him breakfast. Understandably, Calvin is shaken thinking he has lost his mind, until he realizes that other people can also see her. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or is it something bigger than anyone can fathom? Calvin doesn’t care. All he knows is that he has his dream girl, and he’s happy.
As the relationship continues, Calvin and Ruby realize that relationships are not all fun & roses. As Calvin and Ruby each have their personal issues, the relationship have become unbalanced by Calvin’s controlling nature. Will he be able to give up control for the sake of the relationship or be able to sustain the relationship in its current state of stagnation?
