An offbeat romantic comedy about a silver-painted street performer and the soft spoken zoo worker who falls for him.An offbeat romantic comedy about a silver-painted street performer and the soft spoken zoo worker who falls for him.An offbeat romantic comedy about a silver-painted street performer and the soft spoken zoo worker who falls for him.
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It fulfills everything that a romantic comedy wants to be. I.e., a sweet, cute, warm, encouraging, adorable, amusing, snuggle-worthy, young adult date (or post-breakup, or looking for someone) film. The plot setup is clear and you can see at least romantically where this is going within the first 5-10 minutes. Not a film to go to if you're looking for mystery or suspense or women screaming in fear with hands to their head.
It is, however, a new take on a common story line, and the writer/director does an excellent job of creating parallels. There are only so many new takes you can get on young adult romances involving those misdirected or lost and confused, so it's worth seeing for that and a variety of subtle insights.
As is befitting a giant mechanical age of program loops, it is easy to see how a giant mechanical man could have ended up writing this story as part of a biography.
But I'm still disappointed Jenna's character didn't do something about the artificial zoo juice.
It is, however, a new take on a common story line, and the writer/director does an excellent job of creating parallels. There are only so many new takes you can get on young adult romances involving those misdirected or lost and confused, so it's worth seeing for that and a variety of subtle insights.
As is befitting a giant mechanical age of program loops, it is easy to see how a giant mechanical man could have ended up writing this story as part of a biography.
But I'm still disappointed Jenna's character didn't do something about the artificial zoo juice.
What is wrong with IMDb people? How can this movie have such a low rating? Out of all the Rom-Coms I've seen this year, this is by far the sweetest and perhaps the only one with genuine, believable characters. I mean, who among us hasn't felt at some point in life like they're lost, like they haven't got it all figured out, like they are still struggling. They feel confused at not having the same goals that give other people a sense of achievement and not being able to conform to society's definition of success. The story is pretty straight-forward and centers around real and ordinary people. Jenna Fischer is sweet and personable as the female lead, Topher grace is hilarious as the obnoxious author who won't stop bragging about his book, and I actually have a younger sister akin to Malin Akerman's character of the over-bearing know-it-all sibling. She thinks just cuz' she got married first, she has the right to dish advice on every conceivable topic....(smiley face) As for Chris Messina, well, it's the quiet moments where his character broods and mulls that speak volumes, and the soundtrack suits the mood of the film just right. I loved the lead pair and I loved this movie. Go watch it if you wish to enjoy an hour and a half of some winsome and delightful drama!
Lee Kirk --
Your movie made me cry ...
Realizing the significance of the powerful and positive impact that taking the time to "stop and smell the roses" (sorry) can deliver to ones very psyche seems to be unknown, forever lost or perhaps, just ignored by many of us. How did this happen? What factors perpetuate this selfish, though possibly mutually beneficial simple act of awareness? Beats me. Maybe such "numbness" is simply a symptom of that insidious disease commonly known as The Dumbing Down Of America. Don't we all want to understand and to be understood? I do. So,I try.
Of course, these questions weren't answered in The Giant Mechanical Man, but I've never seen a movie come closer to clearly illustrating those truths. This beautifully written, acted and photographed film is a gem!
See it. See it without wearing your critic's eyeglasses...shields down! If you do, you'll be rewarded
THANK YOU!
Your movie made me cry ...
Realizing the significance of the powerful and positive impact that taking the time to "stop and smell the roses" (sorry) can deliver to ones very psyche seems to be unknown, forever lost or perhaps, just ignored by many of us. How did this happen? What factors perpetuate this selfish, though possibly mutually beneficial simple act of awareness? Beats me. Maybe such "numbness" is simply a symptom of that insidious disease commonly known as The Dumbing Down Of America. Don't we all want to understand and to be understood? I do. So,I try.
Of course, these questions weren't answered in The Giant Mechanical Man, but I've never seen a movie come closer to clearly illustrating those truths. This beautifully written, acted and photographed film is a gem!
See it. See it without wearing your critic's eyeglasses...shields down! If you do, you'll be rewarded
THANK YOU!
This movie really is a true gem, and as others have said, hasn't received the credit it should have.I really liked that it was more drama than comedy, as so many rom-com's these days come across as being silly and not believable. The characters are genuine and relatable, and it leaves you feeling good without to much "mush". I found that it reminded me of some of the John Hughes classics from the 80's, mainly Valley Girl, which also deals with trying to find your place when you feel like you don't quite fit in to the mold, and how others expectations of you don't help in the struggle..If you loved this movie I can recommend Valley Girl as one to watch. It's another movie that didn't get the credit it deserved and stars a young Nic Cage.. I'll be keeping an eye out for more movies this writer has done. Im sure this one will end up being viewed as a classic in years to come :)
"It only takes just one person to make you feel special and valid and like you belong in the world." Janice (Fischer) is having a hard time finding and keeping a job not to mention trying to figure out what to do with her life. Tim (Messina) is doing what he wants to do with his life but feels unappreciated and is not making money at it. Both giving up they take jobs working at the local zoo. They strike up a quick friendship and want to develop more, but there are obstacles standing in their way. This is the definition of a sweet movie. I have never been a big fan of the typical love story movies mainly because they are so unbelievable. The "good guys" are overly good and the "bad guys" are way to horrible. While this did have a little of that this one is way more realistic and I would call this a real-life love story. This is a very sweet movie and the type of date movie that both men and women will enjoy. Overall, one of the better independent love stories I have seen. I give it an A-.
Did you know
- TriviaJenna Fischer and the director Lee Kirk are married.
- GoofsWhen Janice's sister and brother-in-law are leaving the restaurant on the double-date, Janice's brother-in-law accidentally leaves with a dinner napkin under his coat.
- Quotes
Tim: I think you're just... great. Because you know what's so great about you? You're real. You don't pretend like you've got it all figured out, like everyone else walking around life. You're real. You're genuine, and you notice things, too. You pay attention. Like the monkeys. I don't know. I look at you, and... I can see you. I see you. I don't know. I just think you're great.
- Crazy creditsIn the first section of the final credits, there are short scenes that are the natural follow-up for the film's story.
- Alternate versionsThere are two versions available. Runtimes are "1h 35m (95 min)" (worldwide release) and "1h 34m(94 min) (United States)".
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.141 (2012)
- How long is The Giant Mechanical Man?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $7,396
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,789
- Apr 29, 2012
- Gross worldwide
- $7,396
- Runtime
- 1h 34m(94 min)
- Color
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