Stranger Than Fiction has the pedigree to be quirkily great. For some people, that will be enough to trick themselves into loving it. But the non-fiction here is that the greatness begins and ends with the movie's marvelous title.
The Guardian wants more than anything to be a summer blockbuster. But as a fall movie in earnest--clocking in at well over two hours, no less--the movie is stripped bare and revealed as a middling action flick without much action.
As far as movies about enchanting nannies go, Mary Poppins is certainly the classic favorite. But the delightfully quirky and heartwarming Nanny McPhee could be a close second.
The title really says it all: Even with a top-notch cast, The Human Stain is only an imprint rather than a cohesive film. Read the novel instead to get the whole picture.