When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.

Sean O'Connell: Beautiful things don't ask for attention.
[reciting Life Magazine's Motto]
Walter Mitty: To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.
Walter Mitty: When are you going to take it?
Sean O'Connell: Sometimes I don't. If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it.
Walter Mitty: Stay in it?
Sean O'Connell: Yeah. Right there. Right here.
[from trailer]
Cheryl: Life is about courage and going into the unknown.
Sean O'Connell: They call the snow leopard the ghost cat. Never lets itself be seen.
Walter Mitty: Ghost cat.
Sean O'Connell: Beautiful things don't ask for attention.
Walter Mitty: Hey, do you know our motto?
Ted Hendricks: Life... I'm lovin' it.
Walter Mitty: That's not it. That's McDonald's. This thing that you do, Ted, where you come into a place and push people out, you should know those people worked really hard to build this magazine. They believed in the motto. And I get it, you've got your marching orders and you have to do what you have to do, but you don't have to be such a d*ck. Put that on a plaque and hang it at your next job.
Walter Mitty: I was saying you know who looks good in a beard? Dumbledore. Not you.
Walter Mitty: What was the picture?
Sean O'Connell: Let's just call it a ghost cat, Walter Mitty.
Trawler Captain: You have at least a minute before you freeze.
Walter Mitty: What?
Trawler Captain: You are safe.
Cheryl: I wanted to tell you, that song "Major Tom" and that beard guy... he doesn't know what he's talking about. That song is about courage and going into the unknown. It's a cool song.
Walter Mitty: So you're just going to finish your beer and then fly a machine?
Helicopter Pilot: Yeah, I'm kind of nervous about the storm.
Todd Maher: I pictured you as this little gray piece of paper, but now I see you and it's like Indiana Jones decided to become the lead singer of The Strokes or something.
Sean O'Connell: Number 25 is my best ever, the quintessence of life, I think. I trust you'll get it where it needs to go, you always do.
Helicopter Pilot: Don't cheat on your lady, man, when you live in a country that only has eight people in it.
Sean O'Connell: I thought it would be cute.
[from trailer]
Walter Mitty: [in shark-infested waters] There's a fin here!
Ted Hendricks: Oh, hey, welcome... wait, sorry, not welcome. Not an employee.
Walter Mitty: Sorry. This is the picture Sean wanted, 25. You have two days to print for cover. Here's your quintessence.
Walter Mitty: [taking on cell phone while climbing a mountain] Hey Todd, I'm gonna keep this short. I have to make oxygen choices.
Todd Maher: How does that Cinnabon taste?
Walter Mitty: Great.
Todd Maher: That's frosted heroin, what you're eating, my friend.
Todd Maher: How was the... daydreaming going?
Walter Mitty: Lately less.
Todd Maher: Good. Less is good!
Cheryl: God, you're noteworthy!
Walter Mitty: I just live by the ABCs: Adventurous, Brave, Creative.
Sean O'Connell: Sorry about the neg roll. I spilled some blood on it while self stitching a gun wound to my abdomen.
Walter Mitty: [with Spanish accent] The ice, yes? She moves like a woman. I'm Walter. Mitty.
Cheryl: Cheryl. Melhoff. Where have you been?
Walter Mitty: Testing the limits of the human spirit.
Cheryl: I'd like to climb your hair, test that out.
Walter Mitty: Perhaps I can contact you, possibly through my poetry falcon.
Walter Mitty: I haven't really been anywhere noteworthy or mentionable.
Ted Hendricks: Never fun, this stage, but we do have ahead of us the privilege of publishing what will be the very last issue of Life magazine. We just received a telegram from Sean O'Connell, who has never been willing, I'm told, to speak with the executives here. Well, he broke his long silence and shared his thoughts with us through that old man... Sean O'Connell. I expect full consideration of negative 25 for cover. My most grand. The quintessence of life... what is that?
Ted's Toner Box Associate: Best. Highest.
Ted Hendricks: So our cover will probably be the most famous ever because it will have the big quintessence of all time. Full and so rich. So let's see this thing. Let's see it. What am I doing here? What's going on?
Don Proctor: Negative assets has it. This gentleman here.
Ted Hendricks: Ah, Major Tom! Can I get that?
Walter Mitty: It's being processed.
Ted Hendricks: All right, let's do it. Let's process some quintessence. Come on. Go, now. That's why I'm clapping.
Don Proctor: I just wanted to inform you all reluctantly that this month's issue will be our last. It's sad news, I'm sure. Now you're all valued employees but as we go under this transition of Life online, I want to be candid with you that some of you will be determined non-vital employees to the new partnership and we'll be deciding which of those positions will be remaining with us over the course of the next week. I also feel sad about that.
Walter Mitty: And I get it. You got your marching orders... and you have to do what you have to do. But you don't have to be such a dick. Put that on a plaque, and hang it at your next job.