Alright, you've hopefully read our rave review — we called it a "delightful romantic comedy that tugs at the heartstrings and rings of an instant classic" — and another quick, very positive micro-tweet. So here's the thing that's becoming apparent to most of us: had our Best Films Of 2012 (So Far) feature ran just a few weeks later, "Ruby Sparks" would have almost certainly made the list.
Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the filmmakers of "Little Miss Sunshine" (this is their first film since 2006), "Ruby Sparks" is a very engaging, charming and observant look at relationships, ownership issues within them and the nature of perception when you're looking back on why they failed. Written by actress Zoe Kazan, and starring herself and her real-life boyfriend Paul Dano, the romantic dramedy centers on a struggling novelist who inadvertently wills his dream girl into existence.
Heady and weird? Yes. Here's the official synopsis: " Calvin (Dano) is a young novelist who achieved phenomenal success early in his career but is now struggling with his writing – as well as his romantic life. Finally, he makes a breakthrough and creates a character named Ruby who inspires him. When Calvin finds Ruby (Kazan), in the flesh, sitting on his couch about a week later, he is completely flabbergasted that his words have turned into a living, breathing person."
Arriving in theaters on July 25th, "Ruby Sparks" also features Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, Steve Coogan, Elliott Gould, Chris Messina and Deborah Ann Woll. While buzz on the film is slightly quiet so far, it is a limited-release film to start and hopefully word of mouth will build closer to the week of release. We've also named it one of the top 10 films to see in July, so consider that another ringing endorsement. Details on the soundtrack (by Nick Urata of DeVotchka) are here and here are more photos from the film.
