How My Mom Inadvertently Converted Me into a Ryan Gosling Fan

I know a lot of moviegoers are crazy about RyGos.

For a long time, I wasn't.

I loved Remember the Titans, but more because it's a Disney sports movie and I just can't resist those (for example: Miracle, Glory Road, Ice Princess, Cool Runnings, Air Bud, and The Mighty Ducks). Honestly I didn't even remember Gosling was in it until he got famous years later.

Sure, I respected his work in The Notebook. Typical performance by a young hunk in a romantic drama. Nothing special, but he played the role exactly as he was asked to. And the on-screen chemistry between Gosling and Rachel McAdams was undeniable.

A few of his films were decent, but didn't really wow me. I think Ben Affleck or Brad Pitt or a couple other Hollywood fellas could have taken his spot and not much would have changed. For me, these include The Ides of March; Crazy, Stupid, Love; and Blue Valentine.

After I saw Drive (which I enjoyed for its chill soundtrack and testosterone-filled chases), I had a discussion with my mom about RyGos. She had previously been pretty much of the same opinion as me, but she said that he'd won her over with his performance in a somewhat less-known film. She recommended I watch it before setting my position in stone.

So I did.

Lars and the Real Girl was excellent. The story was interesting, the acting was superb, and I loved the small feel of it all. His portrayal of the title character, a man struggling with social interaction (to put it mildly), drew me in from the start and kept me going throughout. I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Alright, I'll admit that thanks to Lars and my mother, I'm on board.

Keep the hits coming, Mr. Gosling.

And let's hope he makes a cameo in an upcoming Step Up iteration with these sweet dance moves.

PS: Due solely to its subject (RyGos), I predict this will be one of my most-read blogposts of the year. You know it's true.