Gigantic Focuses On The Little Things

Has all the hype over 500 Days of Summer made you crave more quirky love stories? Vivendi Entertainment has something somewhat similar for you to enjoy on DVD August 11th. Think 500 Days of Summer just a little more offbeat and with Paul Dano instead of Joseph Gordon Levitt and you’ve got Gigantic.

Dano plays Brian, a quiet mattress salesman less than thrilled with his mediocre job. His only salvation is a deep fervor to adopt a Chinese baby. But his obsession is pushed aside when he finds a pretty woman named Happy (Zooey Deschanel) asleep on one of his beds. As you can imagine, the moment Brian wakes Happy the quirkiness ensues and the two develop an unlikely relationship. The cast also includes John Goodman as Happy’s father, Ed Asner as Brian’s father and Zach Galifianakis as a homeless man who has a bone to pick with Brian.

Gigantic takes the word ‘quirky’ and beats you over the head with it. Typically my heart melts when seeing an awkward relationship unfold on screen but this one shoves it in your face so hard it loses its warmth and becomes contrived. Whether or not their relationship is artificial, Gigantic is what it is, a cute romantic comedy. The $26.99 might be worth it if you’re hoping to have a cozy Sunday afternoon on the couch, especially if 500 Days of Summer isn’t in a theater near you. The disc even comes with a semi-respectable special feature list including behind-the-scenes candid interviews with the cast and crew, an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and commentary by director Matt Aselton. Is an alternate ending really necessary here? Come to think of it, is an alternate ending ever necessary?