Ruby Sparks, a writer's film

Zoe Kazan’s script for the new film Ruby Sparks touches on subjects I as a writer think a lot about – writer’s block and the power of artistic creation. Although I haven’t had a real bout of writer’s block, I wonder when and if it will hit. And now that I’m writing my first novel, I marvel at how my characters seem to take over the page – that my fingers are just vehicles for the words that come out of their mouths.

Kazan’s take is different. Her main character in the film, a once very successful writer, ends his writer’s block by creating a character that comes to him in his dream. He falls in love with her and then wakes up one morning and finds her real, in his house, making breakfast for him. I won’t spoil what’s to come, but I highly recommend my writer friends especially see this film. Kazan also plays the main character, Ruby, along side, Paul Dano’s portrayal of the writer, Calvin. Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, and Elliott Gould are also memorable. Here’s the trailer.

And if you see the movie, please answer our very pressing question. Why does Calvin write on a typewriter rather than a computer?