Paper Man

Year: 2009
Country: USA
Run Time: 110 minutes

Richard doesn't know what to do with his hands. A failed writer who suffers from socially debilitating neuroses, Richard (Jeff Daniels) travels to a remote cottage in Montauk, New York – a place almost as isolated as he is. There he unsuccessfully attempts to overcome his current writer's block while using his imaginary super-hero friend, Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds), to cope with the many pressures of his life. A constant voice of reason for Richard, Captain Excellent is the conscience he hasn't been able to live without since the second grade. Richard's marriage to his wife Claire (Lisa Kudrow), a surgeon who comes to visit Richard on the weekends, has become an empty one in which neither spouse really knows who the other is or what they want. Then one day Richard meets a girl: Abby (Emma Stone) is a troubled teen whose loneliness catches his attention. As the two begin to build a strong friendship, boundaries are blurred. Richard regrets never having children and Abby enjoys becoming his muse. Being an only child is just one of the attributes they share, as both characters soon prove to have a drastic and permanent effect on each other. A witty and moving dark comedy with an all-star cast, PAPER MAN is enjoyably strange and unforgettably original. – M.M.

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