Movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty are full of characters who, by choice or circumstance, are unable to fulfill their dreams. Sometimes they just need a little imagination or a chance encounter with a larger-than-life character to kickstart their lives.
Ben Stiller’s adaptation of the classic short story is about a deskbound dreamer who hasn’t done anything with his life. When threatened with losing his job, he sets out on a globe-trotting adventure…Â
If movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty capture your imagination, grab your suitcase, and let’s hit the road…
10 Movies Like The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
1) Yes Man (2008)
A straightlaced office worker is used to saying “no” to everything. When he discovers a personal development program that revolves around responding to every question with the affirmative, his life begins to change for the better…Â
Jim Carrey plays another one of his loveable characters in this feelgood comedy. Zooey Deschanel (who else?) also drops in to play a manic pixie dream girl intent on brightening up his life.
Movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Yes Man are often most fun when they focus on a sad sack who finds improbable ways to live life to the fullest.
2) Stranger than Fiction (2006)
Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is a lonely man with a boring life. One day he starts hearing a voice narrating his every action and thought. He finds out that he is a character in a novel, and sets out to find his creator…
Fans of movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will love this high concept comedy-drama. Will Ferrell is often at his best in more dramatic roles, and he gets great support here from Emma Thompson and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Marc Forster directs this unlikely tale with a lightness of touch, and it’s funny, poignant, and life-affirming.
3) Frank (2016)
A young wannabe songwriter finds himself drawn into the weird world of an experimental band fronted by the troubled Frank, a man who always wears a large papier-mache head…
Lenny Abraham’s quirky comedy is based on the bizarre British TV character Frank Sidebottom, and is just as eccentric. It starts off in one place and ends up somewhere you may not expect, with pleasingly poignant results.
Domnhall Gleeson holds all this kookiness together with his down-to-earth presence, while Michael Fassbender is simply incredible as Frank – despite not showing his face for most of the movie.
4) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
Scott Pilgrim is a directionless guy who finds trouble when he asks out a manic pixie dream girl, and must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends…
Edgar Wright goes to town with his flashy visuals, creating an exhilarating burst of pop energy. The video game-inspired fight scenes are amazing, and Chris Evans delights as one of Scott’s foes.
Movies like The Secret World of Walter Mitty and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World operate in the grey area between reality and the hero’s imagination, with spectacular results.
5) Big Fish (2003)
A journalist returns home to visit his dying father. He’s always been frustrated by his dad’s tall tales but now, as the end nears, he realizes that maybe make-believe has a place in the real world after all…
Tim Burton’s last great movie, Big Fish is a big-hearted shaggy dog story that dazzles and charms in equal measure. Get the Kleenex ready for the sad but triumphant finale.
Movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Big Fish have much in common: they show that an active imagination can have a positive effect on people’s lives.
6) Me, Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
A high school kid who spends his time making parodies of classic movies is forced by his mum to befriend a girl who has been diagnosed with leukemia. As their friendship grows, he decides to make a film for her.
Me, Earl and the Dying Girl can be insufferably quirky but gets away with it thanks to the winning performances and offbeat tone. If the last act doesn’t move you, you must be dead inside.
Much like Mitty, the main character uses his imagination to liven up his boring life, but also finds a more selfless outlet for his creativity through his friendship with the Girl.
7) The Way, Way Back (2013)
An awkward teenager goes on summer vacation with his mother, sister, and his mum’s awful boyfriend. He unexpectedly starts enjoying himself when he’s befriended by the laidback manager of a water park.
Sweet, nostalgic, and funny, The Way, Way Back is a feelgood coming-of-age drama that makes the most of Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell. Rockwell is especially good as the slacker who has a positive impact on people’s lives.
The Way, Way Back makes this list of movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty because its protagonist also needs a more adventurous character to bring the best out of him.
8) Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
A magazine intern tracks down a man who placed an ad looking for someone to accompany him on a trip through time. Initially dismissing him as a nutjob, she begins to think there might be more to his claims…
Director Colin Trevorrow shows a deft touch in this offbeat and surprisingly moving comedy. Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass have real chemistry as the mismatched would-be time travelers.
Like other movies on this list, the line between reality and imagination is blurred in this whimsical movie that celebrates the cranks and dreamers out there.
9) Into the Wild (2007)
Disenchanted graduate Christopher McCandless ditches his middle-class existence and goes to live in the Alaskan wilderness, finding freedom and adventure.Â
Based on a true story, Emil Hirsch gives a committed performance as McCandless and Sean Penn handles the material with his usual assured grip.
This real-life dreamer sought an escape from the everyday grind and found adventure and freedom; unlike Mitty, he would meet a tragic end.
10) Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
A family of oddballs embarks on a trip to get seven-year-old Olive – the most well-adjusted of the bunch – to a beauty pageant.
This bittersweet road movie from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris has plenty of laughs and a terrific cast. It’s a bittersweet look at life and the final dance sequence is a killer.
Fans of movies like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty should appreciate the central theme of Little Miss Sunshine – as long as there’s a dream to chase, life is worth living.