Movie with Abe: It’s Kind of a Funny Story

It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
Released October 8, 2010

Directing duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who helmed and wrote the stirring 2006 Ryan Gosling drama “Half Nelson,” are back with another impressive film. This time they're adapting a semi-autobiographical novel by Ned Vizzini, translating his brief experience in a mental institution into an entertaining and heartwarming film. The film jumps right into its storyline with a speedy introduction from main character Craig as his cry for help results in a mandated stay that begins to turn his life around as he meets people who might outwardly seem crazy but have something more to offer once he begins to get to know them.

Keir Gilchrist, whose credits up to this point are highlighted by his starring role on Showtime's “The United States of Tara,” is a talented young actor more than capable of carrying this comedy. His dry, witty narration works in concert with the tone of the film. He's surrounded by many showy performers, most notably the fantastic and funny Zach Galifianakis, perfectly cast as a fellow patient who quickly takes to Gilchrist's Craig. Emma Roberts, here playing Craig's spunky love interest, would be better suited taking on these roles in the future than getting lost in a mess like “Valentine's Day.” The entire ensemble, including such familiar faces as Jeremy Davis (“Lost”), Viola Davis (“Doubt”), and Lauren Graham, is in fine form, playing broken characters whose interactions are often touching and endearing.

Craig’s experience is not a normative one, and therefore it’s only fitting that the film should strive to match the peculiarity and wonder of this period of his life. The film is prone to imagined scenes where images and scenery come alive, and it feels more like an adventure than an ordinary drama. Its mental and visual tangents are reminiscent of a film like “The Science of Sleep,” where anything seems possible, even if it’s only in the mind of one character. Yet the film does stay firmly grounded in Craig’s perception of the world, allowing for nothing more than a peek into the psyches and worldviews of the other patients. That focus is important, and helps keep “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” on track and loyal to its title, so that it’s more than kind of a good story.

B+

Tuesday’s Top Trailer: It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story – Opening September 24, 2010



I caught this trailer online thanks to Awards Daily and found myself extremely entertained. Before watching it, I read that it was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the married couple behind the Oscar-nominated 2006 drama “Half Nelson” starring Ryan Gosling. Worth noting about that film is that it’s an immensely serious and powerful film and demonstrates an extraordinary performance from 17-year-old Shareeka Epps. That bodes well for this film, which stars 17-year-old Keir Gilchrist as a mental hospital patient. This is clearly much lighter fare, but given Boden and Fleck’s deft handling of disturbing and troubling material in their earlier film, it should be no problem to produce a meaningful and apparently hilarious dramedy. The first thing about the trailer that stands out is Zach Galifianakis as a fellow patient who initially poses as a doctor and strikes up a conversation with Gilchrist’s Craig. Galifianakis was the breakout star of last summer’s comedy smash “The Hangover,” and this looks like a pitch-perfect role for him. He’s not the only one, since Jeremy Davis appears momentarily as another patient who looks like he hasn’t even changed out of his Daniel Faraday wardrobe from “Lost.” With a cast like this, “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” could be the best film with a six-word title about a mental hospital since “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Throw in Emma Roberts as Craig’s patient love interest and Lauren Graham as his mom and this has the makings of a truly great ensemble. This reminds me a lot of “Charlie Bartlett,” which was a really fun film, and I think this could be a big hit of the fall. Do you agree?