Ruby Sparks (2012)

[Edgy MD]

Young and socially awkward novelist develops writer's block after his wildly successful debut. When he dreams about a lovely and interestingly weird china doll of a girl, he wakes up inspired and begins furiously writing about her. In the least-shocking Pygmalionian twist, she comes to life.

Some guy stars, who you may recognize from that other film. Whatshername plays the girl. Two other folks direct.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Your generic no hotlinking image goes well with the generic cast and directors.

[Edgy MD]

In The Lady in the Water, M. Night Whatshisface tells the tale of Naiad, who arises from the water to inspire a writer to publish his views --- to tell him that his writings are so substantive that they will inspire a future leader to usher in a new era of peace and progress and harmony. That writer was, of course, played by M. Nightienight Himself.

I thought, well, there you have it. I thought no picture could feature more self-aggrandizement from an auteur than Braveheart, but M. Night topped it.

Well, Ruby Sparks tops that. This unfunny comedy is embarrassing, tedious, mean-spirited, and filled with belief by young artists in their own brilliance --- to be borne, of course, as a burden. The thoroughly unlikable protagonist is crippled by the pressure of his early success and it's near impossible to not see him as something a stand-in for co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine). His supposedly wonderfully quirky but adorable Galatea won't take long to relate to screenwriter Zoe Kazan, because she's played by... screenwriter Zoe Kazan!

There's also the problem Gus Van Sant ran into in Finding Forrester where it becomes problematic to make a film about a supposedly brilliant young writer when your screenplay can't provide a few instances of convincingly brilliant writing.

The film is set in and around the writer's boring home. What they don't steal from Stranger than Fiction, they steal from other movies. I couldn't finish it. My wife fast-forwarded to see how things turn out and we just got to watch the writer be crueler and crueler to the woman he created. What is wrong with these people?