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“Life is about courage and going into the unknown.”
This quote was a line from the 2013 film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, a film adaptation of James Thurber’s short story of the same title. Produced, directed and starring by Ben Stiller, the film revolves around Walter Mitty, a chronic daydreamer who was forced to go on an adventure in pursuit of his adventurous photographer friend. Despite having mixed reviews and moderate box office success, it received several awards and nominations.
James Thurber’s 1939 short story is one of the most anthologized stories in American literature. His fictional character “Walter Mitty” has entered in The American English Dictionary along with the word “Mittyesque”. Both describe “an ordinary, often ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs”. Walter is the Thurber’s most memorable and famous male protagonist.
Although based on Thurber’s short story, Ben Stiller’s film adaptation gave Walter Mitty a chance to live the life he had always wanted. He found the courage to see the unknown and came back a changed man because of it. For that reason, it was categorized as a feel-good, inspirational movie that was included in the 2013 Top Ten Films, an award given by the National Board Review.
Several quotes from others movies also speak of the same courage:
“Every man dies but not every man really lives.” – William Wallace, from Braveheart
“Someone I once knew wrote that we walk away from our dreams afraid that we may fail or worse yet, afraid we may succeed.” – Forrester, from Finding Forrester
