The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

A closer look at the story

Walter Mitty is a shy, quiet man who manages photo negatives at a magazine. His everyday life may be uneventful, but inside his head he is someone else entirely: in long daydreams he imagines himself as a brave, charismatic hero throwing himself into great adventures. One day, however, when a photo negative goes missing, Walter can no longer afford to settle for fantasies. The journey he sets out on to track down the lost negative will sweep him into a real adventure for the first time. Directed by and starring Ben Stiller from a screenplay by Steven Conrad, the 114-minute 2013 film also features Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn and Shirley MacLaine in a warm adventure comedy.