The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: The soundtrack that inspires you to live your own adventure

When I joined this amazing platform and realized everyone here can write about movies and TV series, I was really thrilled because that’s actually a passion of mine. Then I saw this challenge dedicated to movie soundtracks and I immediately had a few options in mind. Wanting to avoid the “usual suspects,” I thought of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Although often labeled as a simple comedy, I watched this film through a different lens and believe it’s far more than that. It’s actually a story deeply connected to the human spirit.

In this film, Ben Stiller plays a fascinating character—a man already in his fifties who, after his father’s death, puts his dreams aside for a quieter life. However, that choice led him to a bigger problem—disconnection. This tendency to daydream is the result of the lack of excitement in his own life. Walter focuses on his job and family yet he takes no risks at all. His life’s a dull routine. But that is about to change.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty features a great score by the famous composer Theodore Shapiro, known for his work on films like The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Tropic Thunder (2008), and Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003). Additionally the movie includes the beautiful music of José González, whose songs perfectly capture the most magical and introspective moments of it.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty2013

Walter Mitty’s humdrum life

Shapiro’s melodies are key in this part of the film, helping to establish the mood for the audience. The compositions are some kind of sensory indicator of the specific point in life Walter is going through.

Walter Time (0:59)

This melody is just 59 seconds long, yet it offers a perfect introduction to the character. Throughout the whole piece, you can hear the persistent tick-tock of a clock. This sound highlights the fact that Walter is a man in his fifties and definitely isn’t getting any younger. More importantly, it emphasizes his feeling that he’s wasting his life, missing out on the good things it has to offer.

Time & Life (2:14)

This particular melody evokes a hopeful vibe. The song plays while the camera shows us the LIFE Magazine’s workplace. It has a calm tone like enjoying a spring breeze yet it encourages you to take action and get your goals done. It’s inspiring, much like the motto of LIFE Magazine itself, but I’ll talk about it later. However, despite the marvelous, uplifting vibe of this track, things are not going well at the magazine especially with the imminent transition to the digital era.

Daydreaming is painful

As someone whose mind often drifts off to different galaxies, universes or simply a nicer reality, I can perfectly understand why Walter escapes into worlds where he is a hero and/or a cooler person.

Building Rescue (0:49)

At this point in the story we finally witness Walter’s biggest problem—his constant daydreaming. And this is nothing but the result of not living the life he truly desires. In these fantasies we can hear some type of action movie music. Walter pictures himself as a hero fighting some random evilness, from “his office villain” who’s constantly threatening to fire him to a silent enemy like a domestic gas leak in the house of his love interest, Cheryl.

Arctic Fantasy (0:36)

This track has a very distinct spanish flamenco sound and we can listen to it in a scene where Walter is “traveling” to another of his fantasies. In this one, he is a cool, confident person whos able to approach the woman he likes with no fear of rejection.

Just like all of us, Walter is full of insecurities but this fantasy, where he sees himself as a different person, is his safe space. Let’s say, this version of himself just holds the right cards so it’s impossible for him to lose. But eventually he’s pulled back to reality and this often happens from simple actions like someone throwing a clip at him because, once again, everything it’s just in his head.

Walter and Cheryl’s first encounter

As the movie goes, bigger and more meaningful events begin to force Walter to overcome his fears and insecurities. Hes not watching Cheryl from the distances anymore, now he has to talk to her trying to get some help when hes desperately looking at a missing negative containing the photograph for LIFE Magazine’s final cover.

Sixth Avenue (2:08)

We hear this melody during the first conversation between Cheryl and Walter, which occurs as they walk from the magazine’s building to a park to meet Cheryl’s son, who is skateboarding.

I think this song is a blend of emotions: First it’s Walter’s yearning for Cheryl, although theres a sense that she is also interested in him, or at least she’s not indifferent. This is followed by the suspense that stems from their conversation about the upcoming company layoffs (no one knows who will stay and who will be fired). Finally it shows the closeness between them right in the moment Walter shares details about his childhood and past, the same conversation that leads them to quote the magazine’s motto.

And definitely I need to mention the mystery vibes that revolve around Sean Penn’s character, Sean O’Connell. Walter has worked for him for sixteen years, yet he has never met the famous photographer in person. On top of this, Walter now has to find the missing negative, a task that causes him more trouble with the managing director of the “Transition” to LIFE digital era.

Wake Up by Arcade Fire leads Walter’s journey

As I mentioned at the beginning, Walter has a humdrum life but the crisis at his job is forcing him to make decisions that are completely out of his comfort zone. This is exactly what happens in the next part of the movie: Walter faces risky even life-threatening situations. He visits cities and towns he probably never would’ve gotten to know and travels to incredibly remote destinations. This time for real.

Wake Up - Arcade Fire (5:35)

Walter decides to take a leap of faith, risking everything to find the negative straight from Sean O’Connell. However, Walter has absolutely no idea where Sean is. All he has is the name of a ship docked in Nuuk, Greenland, which he saw in the photo. He has no other helpful information to track down a person who constantly moves around the world.

As Walter runs through the LIFE hallways, we see different magazine covers, including one of Walter in an astronaut suit.  This is a powerful allegory cause the journey he’s about to embark on feels like going to the moon—it’s going to be mind-freaking-blowing! The farthest I’ve ever traveled was a 14 hour bus ride, so… yes, I can totally relate to that feeling of awe and power that must come with the idea of traveling far, far away.

Finally, we read the LIFE motto again. This time the words have a bigger impact because of how they’re shown, they feel more truthful than ever. He’s taking a real risk, breaking down his own walls and experiencing things that make him feel alive.

Space Oddity - David Bowie (feat. Kristen Wiig) (5:14)

Cheryl is a very important person in Walter’s life. She inspires him to be a better version of himself. This becomes more obvious in the bar scene in Greenland. Even though Walter is closer to Sean, he hesitate to travel by helicopter to the ship where Sean (and maybe the missing negative) is.

This is the part when Walter daydreams once again, but this time, it feels…necessary. Walter gets nervous at the moment he sees the helicopter pilot stumble past, maybe drunk, but Cheryl “appears” on stage to sing Space Oddity a marvelous song about exploration but also about leaving the routine and old habits behind and moving to the unknown.

This whole sequence makes me think about what the film’s music supervisors intended to tell the audience: the unknown can be scary, even really dangerous and definitely problems may be everywhere but the experience is worth the risk.  Walter needs to chase new horizons and go on a different path even if it means breaking his safe but boring routine. We know fear is part of the process in any first-time experience but in the end what we lived is the biggest reward. The pride of realizing you are capable of doing it,that you broke the walls you built, has a deeply emotional value.

Far Away - Junip (2:45)

In this scene, Walter seems to be getting closer to Sean, but Sean keep moving away. As a result, Walter decides to do something he hadn’t done in decades: he bombs down a steep road…on a skateboard.

I think this ride symbolizes self-confidence. He finally feels completely comfortable with this new version of himself. He’s free to fly, he’s simply him. After so many years, he feels alive for the first time and wants to experience it fully.

I also want to mention the beautiful visuals in this scene. We watch stunning views and shots like spectacular lakes, beautiful animals and a marvelous waterfall. These shots symbolize Walter’s new life. When his wild journey ends he will be a brand new person.

Actually, the previously mentioned Wake Up scene has really beautiful shots as well, including a beautiful aerial view captured by the cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh. In my opinion, this isn’t just a great movie, it’s a piece of art that captivates the audience, not just through the eyes but through the ears.

Don’t Let It Pass - Junip (3:58)

I feel like this is where Walter takes another big step toward his new self. At the beginning of the film, it’s obvious that Walter has a nice relationship with his coworkers, but none of them are his friends. Now we see him playing soccer, strengthening bonds with people he had just met. He’s more social and more open to those around him. We see them laughing and playing at sunset. Yes, another beautiful shot.

I think it’s quite intentional that we see Walter playing this sport. After all soccer is a universal language and thanks to scenes like this one, it’s clearer. He doesn’t speak these people’s languages but the passion for the game speaks for itself and brings them all together.

This beautiful song encourages us to appreciate the good moments in our lives. These flashes of happiness may be short but they’re real. Stepping out of our comfort zone and experiencing deep emotions can leave unforgettable memories, especially for the Walters out there—those who are trapped in the monotony of going from home to work and from work to home.

Stay Alive - José González (4:27)

The film closes with a song that has truly powerful lyrics. The first verse of the song is about how shallow the world has become—everything feels performative and soulless. Only a couple of things can keep humanity alive, such as friendship, nature, and the courage to face our fears. Walter’s finally able to break free. His gray routine is now full of colorful experiences. He knows the value of living and not just surviving. That’s why Walter’s journey is so inspiring. His story resonates with those who are looking to make a change in their own lives.

Another verse of the song talks about “staying alive” through the ones we love because the important thing isn’t just having wonderful memories but also touching other people’s lives. The only way to truly know you were here is by making everlasting memories with our loved ones.

So, please, don’t be afraid to fall, to make mistakes, or to get it wrong. Things aren’t always meant to be as we planned them. You have the right to mess up and, yes, definitely start all over again. Nobody’s an expert here, you know? This is the first life for all of us.

NOTE: In the case of Building Rescue and Sixth Avenue, I used royalty‑free melodies, but I wanted to capture the scenes in which those melodies appear.