Ask any writer worth their salt and they'll tell you that when they are writing a story, they are pulled into the world of that story and the character's seemingly come to life. This sort of passion is evident in books where the characters feel real and their dialogue comes across as authentic. More times than not, this indicates that, to the writer, these were living, breathing people with whom, in a way, they interacted. Thus, it should be of no surprise that many stories have dealt with an author's creations coming to life. Stephen King tackled this topic in The Dark Half (which Dean Koontz then echoed in the oddly similar Mr. Murder.) This was the subject of the early Oliver Stone film Seizure. We now get another interesting take on this premise in the film Ruby Sparks.

At age 19, Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) published his first novel and was considered a wunderkind. Now 10 years later, he's yet to reproduce that success, as he's only since published some short stories. He does some things with his brother, Harry (Chris Messina), and he sees a therapist, Dr. Rosenthal (Elliot Gould), but Calvin mostly spends his time alone with this dog, Scotty. Calvin begins to have vivid dreams about a woman (Zoe Kazan). These dreams inspire him to begin writing again. He decides to call the woman Ruby Sparks and the book is essentially a love story between them. Then, something odd happens -- Calvin begins to find a woman's belongings around his house. Then something odder happens -- Ruby appears in the flesh. Calvin assumes that he is having some sort of breakdown, but when he learns that other people can see Ruby, he's not sure what to think. As Ruby has sprang from his imagination, she acts as if they are already in a relationship. More importantly, if he wishes, Calvin can control her by simply writing about it. Throwing caution to the wind, Calvin dives into this whirlwind romance with Ruby, but soon learns that no relationship is perfect.

Looking at the credits for Ruby Sparks, we see some interesting names. The film was directed by Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris, whose last project was 2006's Little Miss Sunshine. Unlike many, I wasn't charmed by that film and that only part which I truly enjoyed was the twist at the end. Despite my views, the movie was praised by critics and was nominated for four Oscars, winning two. So, it's interesting that they would choose this as their next project after such a (relatively) long absence. Ruby Sparks was written by co-star Zoe Kazan. She and Dano are a couple in real life, so this was (presumably) written for the two of them. The grand-daughter of famed director Elia Kazan, Zoe has acted in several projects, but this is her first (produced) screenplay.

The combination of these talents has produced a film which certainly has its highs and lows. As noted above, the idea of a writer's creation coming to life isn't really an original one, but it's handled in a unique way in Ruby Sparks. It's never made clear how Ruby is alive, but given that Calvin is lonely, it easy to imagine that he simply willed her into existence. I also liked the fact that Ruby emerged as a fully-formed person, complete with all of the knowledge and know-how which Calvin had built into the character. The movie wisely foregoes the "is Calvin crazy?" route and focuses on the relationship. The most intriguing part of Ruby Sparks comes when Calvin realizes that the relationship isn't perfect. Who hasn't imagined creating the perfect lover? Kazan's script is telling us that even when we feel that we have controlled everything, romance still has its ups and downs. I also liked the production design in the film. Calvin goes to visit his mother, and we see that her house is a living mixture of wood, stone, and organic elements, while Calvin's house is a spartan mixture of whites and greys with no clutter whatsoever.

The problem with Ruby Sparks comes when Kazan writes herself into a corner. The relationship between Calvin and Ruby goes through some peaks and valleys, and again, the fact that it isn't perfect is a great touch. However, in the third act, we know that something has to happen, and that something will most likely be definitive. Surprisingly, Kazan opts to take the characters to a dark place which doesn't really ring true with the rest of the movie. Is it arresting and dramatic? Sure, but it doesn't feel the least bit organic, and it comes off as calculated. This is further confounded by the somewhat treacly ending. (I had assumed that an event in the first act had foreshadowed Ruby's fate...and I like my ending better.)

In the end, Ruby Sparks is an uneven film. I like the idea of a taking the "dream girl" movie and giving it an indie movie slant. But, the movie seems to be forcing that indie slant down our throats instead of just letting things play out. The movie deserves a nod for putting together a great supporting cast. In addition to the actors listed above, we also see Annette Benning, Antonio Banderas, and Steve Coogan. Dano is OK as Calvin, but I've never liked the fact that he plays his characters as too restrained. Kazan has done an OK job with the script here, but she tries way too hard to channel Zooey Deschanel in her performance. Ruby Sparks is worth a rental, but it's not my dream movie come to life.

Ruby Sparks does deserve kudos for including a clip from Peter Jackson's Dead/Alive on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the Disc contains and AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 35 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no overt grain and no defects from the source material. Despite the fantastic nature of the story, Dayton and Faris have shot the film in a natural style. The colors look very good, most notably Ruby's bright clothing, and the image is never overly dark or bright. The level of detail is good and the image shows a pleasing amount of depth. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 3.5 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. As this is essentially a romantic dramedy, we don't get a plethora of impressive audio effects here, but the track is solid enough. The stereo effects show good separation and stand out in crowd and street scenes. A nightclub scene provides some surround sound from the music, which also brings the subwoofer into the mix.

The Ruby Sparks Blu-ray Disc contains a few extras. "The Story" (4 minutes) contains interviews with Kazan and Dano who explain the plot and themes of the movie. (As if we didn't just watch it.) "The Cast" (4 minutes) has Dayton and Faris explaining how they approach casting, giving specifics on the cast and characters for Ruby Sparks. We also hear from the actors here. "Real Life Couples" (3 minutes) looks at the fact that Dano and Kazan are a real life couple, just as Dayton and Faris are. "Be Careful What You Wish For" (4 minutes) once again explains the characters and story to us, as if we hadn't seen the movie and just heard this in the other extras. Kazan and the filmmakers explain the use of locations and a true L.A. feel, citing specific scenes, in "Los Angeles: The Other Character" (3 minutes). The final extra is the THEATRICAL TRAILER for the film.