Ryan Gosling’s Lars and the Real Girl Returns on Free Streaming

by

Everyone is talking about this popular actor! He just hosted Saturday Night Live for the fourth time, right before his new movie, Project Hail Mary, comes out. And if you’re a fan, you can stream his charming, but often overlooked, film Lars and the Real Girl on Pluto TV right now.

I was so excited to see that Lars and the Real Girl is currently available to stream on Pluto TV for free! It’s been almost twenty years since it came out in theaters back in 2007. While it didn’t make a ton of money at the box office – it earned just under $12 million on a $12.5 million budget – I don’t think that has anything to do with how good the movie is. It was a really original idea, and maybe people just weren’t quite ready for it back then.

Lars and the Real Girl Is More Dramatic Than Expected

Written by Nancy Oliver (known for Six Feet Under) and directed by Craig Gillespie (Cruella), Lars and the Real Girl features Ryan Gosling as Lars Lindstrom, a shy and isolated young man. Feeling deeply lonely and struggling to connect with others, Lars introduces a life-sized doll he ordered online – named Bianca – as his girlfriend. A local doctor, played by Patricia Clarkson, understands that Lars is using Bianca to deal with past pain and encourages the town to play along, treating the doll as if she were a real person.

Despite its unusual premise, Lars and the Real Girl is a surprisingly touching film that most viewers enjoy. It received a high approval rating of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 84% of the audience also giving it a positive review. The film’s quality was further recognized with an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Ryan Gosling’s performance was highly praised, earning him Best Actor nominations from the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the Golden Globes.

Bianca Was Treated With Respect On Set

Both the actors and crew treated the character of Bianca as if she were a real person. Ryan Gosling explained in an interview with Beliefnet that the doll received the same level of respect as any other cast member.

I remember talking to Craig about how he planned to film a particular scene. He explained he’d act as if the actress had a clause in her contract covering nudity, meaning he’d handle the situation with complete professionalism and respect. He wasn’t joking! He insisted everyone treat her like a professional actress – she got magazines to read between takes, had her own trailer to change in, and was generally treated just like any other member of the cast. It was amazing to see.

If you’re a Ryan Gosling fan, you’re in luck! I noticed Lars and the Real Girl is currently available to stream for free on Pluto TV. And that’s not all – they’ve got a bunch of other Gosling gems on demand, including The Big Short, Half Nelson, Blue Valentine, Only God Forgives, and The United States of Leland. Looking ahead, fans will have to wait a bit for his newest project, which is hitting theaters on March 20, 2026.

Read More

2026-03-18 03:36