Ruby Sparks

For the first 45 minutes, Ruby Sparks plays like a fantasy. Calvin shows Ruby his apartment; they visit his bohemian mother; they have quirky arguments that end in passionate kisses. But the rot sets in when Ruby does something Calvin didn’t write.

Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) is a struggling novelist and former literary prodigy who is paralyzed by writer’s block and loneliness. On the advice of his therapist, he begins a writing exercise about a girl who likes his dog. This character, Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan), soon manifests in his kitchen as a flesh-and-blood human being. Ruby Sparks

Calvin finally realizes the horror of what he has done. He doesn't have a girlfriend; he has a hostage. In a scene of profound emotional maturity, he sets Ruby free. He writes a final sentence: "Ruby Sparks is free. She is her own person." For the first 45 minutes, Ruby Sparks plays like a fantasy