This fascinating movie is much more than meets the eye.  It's easy to see as a comedy, but it's also a thought-provoking, powerful film with a pure heart, whose message about acceptance touched me deeply. 

The mature-beyond-his-years Gosling plays Lars Lindstrom,  a shy boy who's a little bubble off-center - a loner who prefers to live in the garage of his brother's house.  He works at a computer job, but really doesn't like being around people, and can't bear being touched.  His brother's wife, played by Emily Mortimer, is constantly trying to get him to interact with them. Being insecure, she takes his rejection personally, which only steps up her attempts.  

Lars' brother is aware of his quirks, but isn't concerned... until the night Lars introduces them to his girlfriend "Bianca", a sex doll he ordered on the internet.   "She's Brazilian" he tells them, then hastens to add "Actually she's half-Danish, half Brazilian."  For some reason this brought a smile to my face.

The relatives are in shock, to say the least. Certain that he's gone completely bonkers and in need of  hospitalization, they devise a plan to get him into the doctor's office by telling him that Bianca should be checked for proper immunization shots, etc.  

Doctor Dagmar, played by the great Patricia Clarkson, takes the perfect approach with Lars.  Treating Bianca as a real patient, she casually observes Lars while chatting and remaining nonjudgmental, gradually earning his trust.

The concensus of the community is "Well, Lars has always been strange, but he's a good boy"  and eventually the entire town comes to accept Bianca.  She's even pressed into service as a volunteer at the children's hospital, and earns some money as a part-time store mannequin.  Her schedule becomes so busy that Lars starts feeling neglected.

Doctor Dagmar explains to the family that Lars is suffering from a delusion, but it could be temporary, and not necessarily cause for alarm.  Lars doesn't appear to be having sex with her,  and even insisted that she stay in the brother's house, for propiety's sake.  But as Dagmar puts it: "Bianca's in town for a reason."