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Paper Man

  • 2009
  • R
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
21K
YOUR RATING
Jeff Daniels and Ryan Reynolds in Paper Man (2009)
A coming-of-middle-age comedy that chronicles the unlikely friendship between failed author Richard Dunne and a Long Island teen who teaches him a thing or two about growing up, all under the disapproving eye of his long-suffering wife and his imaginary superhero friend.
Play trailer2:28
6 Videos
59 Photos
ComedyDrama

A washed-up writer forms an unlikely friendship with a teenager from Long Island.A washed-up writer forms an unlikely friendship with a teenager from Long Island.A washed-up writer forms an unlikely friendship with a teenager from Long Island.

  • Directors
    • Kieran Mulroney
    • Michele Mulroney
  • Writers
    • Michele Mulroney
    • Kieran Mulroney
  • Stars
    • Jeff Daniels
    • Emma Stone
    • Ryan Reynolds
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    21K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Kieran Mulroney
      • Michele Mulroney
    • Writers
      • Michele Mulroney
      • Kieran Mulroney
    • Stars
      • Jeff Daniels
      • Emma Stone
      • Ryan Reynolds
    • 82User reviews
    • 60Critic reviews
    • 37Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Videos6

    Paper Man
    Trailer 2:28
    Paper Man
    Paper Man
    Trailer 7:35
    Paper Man
    Paper Man
    Trailer 7:35
    Paper Man
    Paper Man: Clip 2
    Clip 0:45
    Paper Man: Clip 2
    Paper Man: Clip 4
    Clip 2:22
    Paper Man: Clip 4
    Paper Man: Clip 1
    Clip 0:50
    Paper Man: Clip 1
    Paper Man: Clip 3
    Clip 1:09
    Paper Man: Clip 3

    Photos58

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    + 52
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    Top cast16

    Edit
    Jeff Daniels
    Jeff Daniels
    • Richard Dunn
    Emma Stone
    Emma Stone
    • Abby
    Ryan Reynolds
    Ryan Reynolds
    • Captain Excellent
    Lisa Kudrow
    Lisa Kudrow
    • Claire Dunn
    Kieran Culkin
    Kieran Culkin
    • Christopher
    Hunter Parrish
    Hunter Parrish
    • Bryce
    Eric Gilliland
    • UPS Guy
    Louis Rosario
    • Bryce's Posse
    Conrad Wolfe
    • Bryce's Posse
    Arabella Field
    Arabella Field
    • Lucy
    Chris Parnell
    Chris Parnell
    • Peter
    Brian T. Finney
    Brian T. Finney
    • Mike
    Brian Patrick Russell
    Brian Patrick Russell
    • Dave
    • (as Brian Russell)
    Jill Shackner
    • Sophomore Girl
    Violet O'Neill
    • Makeout Girl
    Michael Heintzman
    • Park Ranger
    • Directors
      • Kieran Mulroney
      • Michele Mulroney
    • Writers
      • Michele Mulroney
      • Kieran Mulroney
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews82

    6.520.7K
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    Featured reviews

    10vyperxxx

    Heartwarmingly sublime

    Just finished watching Paper Man and I wanted to express what a great film I think this is. From beginning to end the movie is touching and full of sublime humor. Sometimes happy, and sometimes sad, the emotional weight leaves you feeling for all of the characters. Jeff and Emma turn in fantastic performances and Ryan's presence brought a smile to all of his scenes. Anyone who has ever felt a bit lost in life will instantly connect with this film, it is inspiring and reminds us that great movies can still be about the little things and characters in all of us. For a debut film, the directors are off to a great start, we need movies like this to remind us that film can still be an art, and does not always have to be about CGI blowouts.
    8dlee-1037

    pleasantly surprised

    The first time I played this movie I fell asleep right after it started and almost didn't replay it the next day because what little I remember of it wasn't too impressive. I would have missed one of the better movies I've seen in some time.

    Like a lot of indie films it wasn't cookie cutter Hollywood but also unlike a lot of indie films it had some real acting talent. I had seen Emma Stone in Easy A for the first time and enjoyed her in that role but didn't see any exceptional talent so I was really amazed at the performance she gave in this movie as it was a much deeper and complicated role. You don't realize how good she is until you've seen the whole film and finally understand the undercurrent that has been present throughout. Jeff Daniels is a veteran actor and it was hard to tell at first if he was filling his role but as the film progresses you realize that Richard is a flawed man and has been for a very long time and it has reached a point where it can't continue and Daniels was Richard. The three remaining characters were really only set dressing but they were instrumental in helping flesh out who Richard and Abby really were.

    Richard, a 40ish writer who has what appears to be writers block meets 17 year old Abby, a not too typical teen. There is an almost instant mutual attraction that develops into a unique friendship that is decidedly not sexual.How this friendship develops and how it affects the rest of the characters is what made this movie so enjoyable. See for yourself. Daniels and Stone were excellent together.

    This film does require a little effort. There are no throw away scenes so if you don't stay with it and pay attention you will have wasted the effort that the writers and actors put into it and probably won't appreciate it. If you have a short attention span or are hooked on Hollywood then don't bother with this one.
    7paul_m_haakonsen

    Quite amazing.

    Alright, well I sat down to watch this movie without having a single clue as to what it was all about. I hadn't read anything about it, heard anything about it, or even googled it. I just sat down and watched it. I had expected it to be in the comedy corner, but it sort of isn't a comedy at all. Nor would I say it is a classic drama, but more of a movie about growing as people and coming to terms with whom and what you are.

    The story in "Paper Man" is very warm, heartfelt and straight forward. It moves forward in a good pace, and you are never left bored throughout the course of the movie. Now, the movie is obviously kept afloat by the superb acting performances of Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone. I think this is one of the best roles I have ever had the pleasure of seeing Jeff Daniels in. Not saying that his previous work is bad, just that this is outstanding. And Emma Stone worked so well opposite Daniels in her role, despite being that much younger than Daniels.

    The role of Ryan Reynolds, well it was essential to the movie, although I think it would have worked better with an unknown actor for that role. But still, Reynolds is not a bad actor, but he didn't really shine through in this role, at least not for me. Lisa Kudrow performed adequately as well, although it did seem like her character didn't come off as strong on the screen as it was intended.

    You might think a movie like this would be for a female audience, but I found it to be very nice, as a guy. The story is captivating and the performances are good. The story is not at any point too sassy, and at the end of the movie, you come to appreciate the movie for what it is. A unique piece of cinema about how people grow.

    This is definitely not a movie you should let pass you by. Do yourself the favor and sit down to watch it (with or without your significant other). This is a very, very nice movie.
    7osterhoutj_2

    Surprisingly Good Movie

    I remember seeing a preview for this movie once a while back and thought it looked interesting, but then I never heard about it again. While roaming through Netflix one night I came across it in my queue and decided to check it out and very glad that I did.

    Paper Man is a very charming dramedy with excellent performances by Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone who form a unique friendship that fills the opposite voids each character has in their lives. The type of friendship they form could have easily been ruined by coming off too romantic, but both Daniels and Stone teeter the line of awkward and endearing perfectly to keep the dramatic aspects in a comedic tone.

    Then there's Captain Excellent, the imaginary friend to Richard Dunn (Jeff Daniels) played by Ryan Reynolds. Captain Excellent is the sarcastic "voice of reason" to Dunn that leads to many comical exchanges between the two. The sarcastic tone of the character plays well into Ryan Reynolds' wheelhouse and, because of that, I really enjoyed Reynolds in this roll. I thought both he and Daniels were great playing off each other.

    All in all, this is a very solid flick that I would definitely recommend you check out.
    7Ziglet_mir

    Sentimentally Compelling

    I saw "Paper Man" recently in the favor of seeing Jeff Daniels act in a newer movie. And it is a job well done.

    This is fantastic indie movie and a strong directorial/writing debut for Kieran and Michele Mulroney. The casting is interesting and diverse adding in the likes of Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, and Kieran Culkin (who may I add surprised me very much). Each actor turns in their roles well for what they're meant to be. And I must say the film explores many intriguing concepts of one's mind, suggesting also how two people can be so different in age and still relate to how the other is feeling. It is heartfelt and very sentimental. The friendship between Daniels and Stone is sweet and quite emotionally driven. The roles of Reynolds and Culkin add another level to the movie's superiority because they change the film from being "your everyday drama among friends and family" to a individualistic adventure for one's identity in the cruel place that is the world.

    **A twist toward the end made me give this movie another bonus. It was unpredictable (at least for me) and allowed everything to tie together.

    It's definitely above average and a movie I plan on watching many more times in the future. Plus, Jeff Daniels always hands in a great act.

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Second film that Emma Stone and Lisa Kudrow appear in together; the other is Easy Girl (2010).
    • Goofs
      Richard's first beer is draft perfect, then the bartender holds a bad beer in his hands. In the next shot, it is perfect again. The next shot shows the bad beer again, and then it even dies completely (and there's less beer) in Richard hands, only to be perfect again when he takes his first sip.
    • Quotes

      [Abby is reading Richard's last letter]

      Richard Dunn: Richard regarded his solitude as something sacred as a well earned badge of honor, a cloak to be worn to ward off life. As his safety. Solitude is who he was. This caused those in his life to view him with a barely veiled contempt. Richard was certain that he was not liked, which is hard on a man. *Maybe* it was because he gave nothing that he received nothing in return. In any case, his situation had become intolerable. The closest things he had to friends were either imaginary or extinct. And Richard had reached a point in his life where this was no longer enough. And then he met a girl... And she was warm. And she was sad. And she was maybe lonely in a way that reminded him of himself. She'd lost things that a girl should never have lost. And she knew things. And she taught him. And Richard thought: "Maybe this is what friendship feels like. Maybe." It was just a glimpse, they'd barely begun, really. But in those long, few winter days, she'd given him so much. Enough so that Richard could go on. And what had he given her? Just a few words on a page. Not much, perhaps. But for Abby, he hoped it was enough.

    • Crazy credits
      Captain Excellent makes a final appearance as the end credits begin.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Kick-Ass/Death at a Funeral/The Joneses (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Bluebird of Happiness
      Written by Neil Halstead & Ian McCutcheon

      Performed by Mojave 3

      Courtesy of 4AD LTD.

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    FAQ19

    • How long is Paper Man?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 1, 2014 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Siêu Nhân Giấy
    • Filming locations
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Artfire Films
      • Entertainment 360
      • FilmColony
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $13,514
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,613
      • Apr 25, 2010
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,514
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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    Jeff Daniels and Ryan Reynolds in Paper Man (2009)
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