The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Stop dreaming. Start living.

2013 • 114 min • Adventure · Comedy · Drama · Fantasy

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Synopsis

A timid magazine photo manager who lives life vicariously through daydreams embarks on a true-life adventure when a negative goes missing.

Our family guide

Best from age 9

Movie Knight Score

8390 reviews

75 Reviewers · 4 · 60%
72 Audience · 8386 · 40%

A man prone to elaborate daydreams embarks on a global adventure to find a missing photo negative, transforming his life. He discovers the courage to face reality and embrace unexpected journeys.

Violence & peril: 2/10
Language: 2/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 3/10

Heads up

Mild peril in nature
Some crude humor
Moments of tension
Brief bullying

What it models well

Courage and self-discovery
Embracing adventure
Finding your purpose
Human connection

Talk about it after

What does it mean to truly "live"?
How do daydreams help or hinder us?
The importance of taking risks
Facing job uncertainty with resilience

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Ben Stiller • Crew: Steven Conrad

Trailers & clips

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Extended Trailer - 6 Minutes [HD]

Reviewer notes

Recommended
This surprised me in that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Of course it was foolish of me to doubt Ben Stiller’s magic both as actor and director. Given the imagination of Mitty’s mundane character, some sequences in the film are surprisingly high octane action movie. I had expected Mitty to be less likeable and more mundane than he actually was but given the action that he eventually realises, perhaps a...
Crazypiglady, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
A truly underrated movie in my opinion. Excellent story, beautiful cinematography, and an inspirational message that somehow got overlooked. Life is meant to be lived, to be experienced... not day dreamed about, or fantasized in our heads! Get up, get out there, and get living!! I enjoyed this movie, as well as Ben Stiller's performance.
EjBlackCherry, TMDB Community

Not recommended
Boring, boring, boring...
cactuz911, TMDB Community

Recommended
The story is too simple but enjoyable and the photography is gorgeous. Best thing is seeing Shirley MacLaine and Kristen Wiig and Adrian Martinez performances.
tanty, TMDB Community