Lars Becomes a Man

If you haven't seen Lars and the Real Girl, you should certainly consider renting it. Now, I turned down my good friend, Betsy, for months as she incessantly demanded I watch it. However, I finally caved and rented it one night when I was home alone. The conclusion I came to is that Lars is definitely incredible. 

I know its been out for a while, so you've probably already watched it. I'm just late in getting around to talking about it. But still, I don't want to ruin it for anyone. 

I will just say that Ryan Gosling who plays Lars does an incredible job of capturing a perfectly innocent man losing his grip on reality. He finds love in strange places, and forces his older brother and sister-in-law to cope with his mental breakdown. 

There is one beautiful scene when Lars' asks his older brother, Gus, how he knew when he was a man. Gus, who is has been fed up with Lars for quite some time, finally relents and answers the question. Suddenly the two begin to see each other for who they are, and feel a love for each other that only brothers can feel. 

I think Gus nails it on the head about what it means to become a man: 

Lars Lindstrom: I was talking to Bianca, and she was saying that in her culture they have these rites of passages and rituals and cermonies, and, just all kinds of things that, when you do them, go through them, let you know that you're an adult? Doesn't that sound great?
Gus: It does.
Lars Lindstrom: How'd you know?
Gus: How'd I know what?
Lars Lindstrom: That you were a man
Gus: Ahhh. I couldn't tell ya.
Lars Lindstrom: Was it... okay, was it sex?
Gus: Um. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's uh, yeah, yeah it's kind of - it's uh - no. Well, it's kind of sex but it's not uh, you know? I don't know. I don't know. It's - uh - good question, good question.
Lars Lindstrom: Yeah, but I have to know
Gus: [dryer buzzes] Hold that thought.
Gus: [in basement] You know, you should ask Dagmar
Lars Lindstrom: I did ask Dagmar. And she said that I should ask you.
Gus: Okay, you know I can only give you my opinion.
Lars Lindstrom: That's what we want
Gus: Well, it's not like you're one thing or the other, okay? There's still a kid inside but you grow up when you decide to do right, okay, and not what's right for you, what's right for everybody, even when it hurts.
Lars Lindstrom: Okay, like what?
Gus: Like, you know, like, you don't jerk people around, you know, and you don't cheat on your woman, and you take care of your family, you know, and you admit when you're wrong, or you try to, anyways. That's all I can think of, you know - it sound like it's easy and for some reason it's not.