The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

I'm not going to discuss the 1939 short story by James Thurber or the 1948 version with Danny Kaye, but as a movie that received less attention than other November/December releases, I'd like to share my opinion that The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was both refreshing and engaging.  Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, the film falls between genres stemming from that indie-lifequest type and standard romantic-comedy, with a few brief action sequences thrown in.  The romance is secondary to the plot which in my opinion makes its presence more interesting as a desirable outcome is not guaranteed.  The comedy is subtle half of the time and forward the other half, and the varying surreality of Walter's daydreams cleverly adds to the context of his experiences.  A couple unadvertised roles starring major and minor celebrity actors add to the mix.  I thought some of the other characters were overwritten, but these were forgivable as they only slightly detracted from the story's flow.  To say anything else would go against my delight in the unexpected, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed the film and would recommend it.