This isn't really what you are looking for but I could have sworn that around when this movie came out there was another movie that was released around the same time with a similar premise. If I remember correctly I saw the trailers for both and the other one looking a lot more silly and played up the comedy angle more so than this movie. Does anybody remember this?
Found it - it's Monique (2002) - Valérie Guignabodet. I don't know if Lars is based on Monique but the storyline shares many similarities. It is worth seeing if you have the opportunity. I actually prefer it to Lars. It may be because I saw it first, but I found it to be very original, funny and bizarre yet believable.
Well I don't want to highjack this thread but I know the movie I was thinking about with a similar premise came out in 2006/2007 right around the time of Lars and the Real Girl and was an English language film. I remember seeing both trailer a few months apart.
Just to stick my oar in for a moment - I am almost certain that the film you're thinking of is 'The Dummy' (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246592/). It came out about 10 years ago & stars Adrien Brody. The premise of the film is similar to 'Lars...', with Brody fixating on a ventriloquists dummy rather than a lurrrve doll, and, as you suggested, the tone of the film is much lighter with an emphasis on comedy.
Despite that, I laughed way more during 'Lars...'. :P
Hi Halcapone, Thanks for the suggestion but that isn't the movie. The trailer I saw definitely had a "love doll" and came out closer to the time of Lars and the Real Girl. Maybe I'll start a a new thread on the Need to Know Board if I don't get more responses here.
OP! There is a film called 'Marwencol' (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1391092/) that I can highly recommend watching if you enjoyed 'Lars & the Real Girl'. It's a documentary rather than a feature, but deals with many of the same themes and has an equally compelling central character. Czech it out...
HA! I myself just wrote that! Her, great film, haven;t seen Lars, but plan to on Netflix, or on video..! That kind of film I love. I absolutely love Her..!