The Secret LIFE of Walter Mitty

I had the privilege to see "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" last night.

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As a photographer, I certainly could relate to the beginning of the plot:

-Tries online dating and finds an interesting person

-Has computer problems

-Takes film out of a Kodak tin

-Believes a negative was misplaced

-Works in the basement with negatives and chemicals

-Encounters a man with a terrifically terrible fake beard

After that, it gets a little less relatable, but much more entertaining:

-LIFE Magazine is closing and is publishing its last issue

-Assets manager sets off to locate the photographer to retrieve the negative

-Goes on a journey to Greenland

-Has a shark fight

-Outruns a volcano eruption

-Hikes the Himalayas

-Gets to meet Sean Penn('s character, the photographer)

-Gives up on online dating (I won't spoil the ending...)

Adapted from short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," written by James Thurber in 1939, this movie took me on an emotional (and constantly rationalizing) journey from New York to Greenland to Iceland to Afghanistan and back. The set and locations were beautiful, and the way Ben Stiller's Walter Mitty used the surrounding negatives in the contact sheet to track down the photographer were very clever and serendipitous. (Think water, a thumb, and something chipped.) There were, however, times where I was clearly overthinking the slightly unrealistic character decisions, for example, when Walter up and left his office, bought a ticket to Greenland, and got on a plane with no jacket or luggage, but he happened to have his passport with him. Or when he was hiking in the Himalayas alone with no guide or map. Or when he answered a seemingly American cell phone in the middle-of-nowhere Greenland and at the top of a mountain.

A few little things that made me chuckle: On the plane to Greenland, Walter and another man were the only passengers on the plane and they were seated next to each other. Another time was when he had to jump out of a helicopter onto a small rubber boat many feet below into choppy, shark-infested waters but he jumped out the wrong side. And finally, the number recurring skateboarding opportunities Walter stumbled across, rekindling his inner teenager. 

Artistically, I couldn't have asked for a more visually engaging series of credits. From the opening credits, which seamlessly layered the text into the scene, to the final rolling credits, which displayed like someone scrolling horizontally through a page of processed color slide film negatives, I was in awe of how comfortable I felt watching this film. It was shot the way I see: with many different angles, perspectives, and compositions.
In addition to the main theme of the movie, which was adventure, another was daydreaming, something many photographers employ before a shoot. Photographers' daydreaming can manifest as the simple anticipation of a specific moment in a scene or a complex fantasy: the entire layout of a shot in one's mind, visualizing the exact photograph that one wants to take. There were both in this movie. Walter spent his days "zoning out" and imagining an epic life of adventure, while Sean Penn's character, the famous photographer, Sean O'Connell, approaches his life the old-fashioned way; traveling the world and shooting in film. When Walter finally catches up to O'Connell in the Himalayas, O'Connell has his film camera, outfitted with a telephoto lens, ready to capture the image of the "ghost cat," an elusive snow leopard. Both sit in silence as they wait for the animal to appear, O'Connell checking his camera periodically to make sure he has the area in frame. But when it comes time for the shot, Walter anticipates O'Connell to take the shot of the animal, hoping that that image would be the last LIFE cover (since Walter lost the original negative #25). But O'Connell never takes the shot. To paraphrase, O'Connell said that sometimes he just likes to be "in the moment," completely encompassed by the situation and incredible beauty of the experience. 

It has become important to learn the living aspect of photography as well. We have trained our eyes, our fingers, and our minds to take the best possible shot of the subjects about which we are passionate. However, "getting the shot" should never be a reason to miss out on life. Sometimes you have to step away from the camera to appreciate what you see and experience.

I'll miss the real LIFE magazine, and I remember when the last issue was published. My family hung our heads at the kitchen table, for the digital age was overtaking print media. LIFE was one of our shared weekend reading materials.

When you watch this movie, see it through the eyes of a photographer: 

Notice the little details, the vibrant color, and the magic of the beautiful landscapes and you will be amazed at how much more you see.

-Amy