Lars is the troll master

Its worth a watch with that theory in mind. It really becomes this whole other movie.

I'll set those up with some things that can give validity to the theory that Lars trolled his family and the town. Obviously spoilers ahead.

Lars, although content with his life, has a deep seeded grudge against his brother. His brother keeps Lars living in the garage, while he gets the house. Gus abandoned him and his father as a child. Gus has Karin. Gus possibly doesn't like Lars either. Gus blames Lars for killing his mother and destroying his family and forcing him to leave home at a young age.

With Karin in the mix, she is trying to repair their severed relationship between the brothers. Lars has jealousy toward Karin and Gus' relationship. Maybe even angry that anyone could like his brother Gus.

Its only until Lars' co-worker mentions the real doll that Lars formulates the plan to attempt to completely destroy his brother's life.

The breaks into smiles from Lars no longer are interpreted as being content with having a relation with a real doll, but rather Lars breaking character and having a chuckle at the mayhem and misfortune his has caused for Karin, Gus, and other townsfolk.

Lars has Karin and Gus running around changing Bianca's clothes, bathing her, cooking for her, fastening her seatbelt, putting her to sleep, going to church meetings and briefing other townsfolk on the situation, and MOST importantly paying for doctor's appointments, ambulance fees, hospital fees, and funeral expenses.

Lars has put Gus in complete financial ruin. Gus is put in a position where he is an expecting father, but he is running up a debt due to something that he personally doesn't want to go along with but Karin forces him to go through because Dagmar said so. Doctor's orders.

Now Dagmar, she is a real hustler. And Lars is clued into it. Dagmar is setting these folks up for a ride by having weekly appointments for a rubber doll. She is a gold digger. I'm thinking she is a supporter of that local church possibly too or the priests get a donation or cut of Dagmar's profits from Gus' wallet and that is there incentive to play along.

At one point you see Gus' struggle. Its a struggle of guilt as well as financial burden. He is the sole provider of the family, child on the way, pays all the bills, and he can't afford to be paying all these medical expenses. Especially not one for a non living person. I believe Gus was even considering suicide at his lowest point.

I don't think so. For one thing, his issue with touch. That seemed genuine. I don't believe he would go that elaborate and have sessions with the Dr. I believe his delusion was happening. It could be something that sparked it in his own head. To do what you said would be pure evil. He isn't that sort of person to me.

He made the people in his hometown believed he love the doll and supported him.

I know I'm late to this thread but I just saw the movie and I've read a few postings about how maybe Lars is faking it and pulling one over on the entire town as some sort of troll or gag.

Anyone who thinks that seems to be missing the fact that Lars had conversations and arguments with the doll when no one was anywhere nearby- as in the lake in the woods where he wheeled her to his favorite tree or had an argument in the car with her on some deserted road.

He's not fooling anyone except himself.