Lars and The Real Girl

We went to see Lars and the Real Girl on Friday night. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

The premise of the movie: a lonely small town 27 year old man, named Lars, orders a sex doll from a website he got from a "friend" of his at work. I couldn't tell what kind of work he did, but some sort of office work in a small town in Wisconsin. The German Lutheran roots were throughout the movie. Lars, like I said, is very lonely. He lives in the garage outide the house he is half owner of, with his brother. His brother, Gus, lives in the house with his pregnant wife, and constantly seeks out a relationship with Lars who lives and acts like a hermit. As the movie progresses, we learn that he has been burned by his father, who must have acted in the same way after Lars' mother died giving birth to Lars. His older brother, who is quite a bit older, left home and left Lars during some tough times in his life. So, now we find Lars living in this small town all alone, even though is surrounded by everyone.

Lars is also very religious. He attends church every Sunday at the local Lutheran church, which comes off in a very good light.

But back to the sex doll he orders. He orders this sex doll that arrives at his home in a crate one day. He got a call from his sister-in-law that a delivery had arrived, and he then rushed home taking some time off work to come find his "delivery."

The next scene opens with him approaching the kitchen door of his brothers house asking if his friend could come to diner and then stay inside because she is quite religious. Gus and his wife are then introduced to Bianca, the sex doll, aka his girlfriend.

After seeking help from the local doctor and psychologist, the family is told to allow the delusion to continue because you could not convince Lars that she is not a real person. Here is where the movie gets really good. The brother and his wife are forced with the question of how to do this without the town mocking Lars, and subsequently his brother Gus. But after soul-searching and a few attempts to dissuade Lars they finally resign to treat Bianca like a real girl.

Since, Lars is a part of the local Lutheran church, they call the pastor and some church leaders to come and help. They eventually come to a decision that Bianca is welcome to come to church with Lars and the will accept her as one of her own.

Bianca becomes a hit as this small community rallies around her. She becomes a volunteer at the hospital, she is elected to the school board, and helps many of the ladies at the beauty salon. Lars at first is overjoyed by this outpouring of love towards Bianca but then he becomes jealous because he now has no time to spend with her. Lars, the quiet sweet small town boy, then turns angry and has a fight with Bianca, but all you hear is the one sided dialogue.
"Why do I have to check my calendar to schedule a time with my girlfriend?"
What do you mean I'm being selfish?
I know you're helping a lot of people, but I would like to see you too!
That's unfair!
Why are you treating me like this?
What, you don't talk like this to anyone else!

As Lars is still struggling with his fight with his girlfriend he gets into a fight with his sister-in-law. In this fight he is venting at how everyone is spending time with Bianca and how he has no time for her. He blames his sister-in-law for this as well. She responds in a moving speech telling him that the reason the town, and herself, has responding so great to Bianca is because the town loves Lars, and is showing Lars their love for him.

What an example of community! Of Christian community. The community knows that Lars has some serious issues, but still rallies around him. No one treats him poorly, even though you expect several times. The church, hid co-workers, his family all will do no matter what it takes to make Lars feel loved, even as Lars tries again and again to pull away.

"Love never fails."- St. Paul