It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010– 101 mins) K. Gilchrist, E. Roberts, Z. Galifianakis 

Craig (Gilchrist), is a depressed high school student going through a rough time. He’s got a whack a-doodle family, not one who isn’t loving or abusive but just out there. Dad doesn’t pay much good attention to anyone, mom who seems to be there but really isn’t for him, and a sister who is a child prodigy and the center of the family. Craig’s been to some shrinks and on some meds but still feels his life sucks, and wants out. He ends up at a mental health ward, where they are renovating the child ward so he ends up in the adult population. Naturally with movies like this there are plenty of colorful characters from all aspects of mental health issues. He ends up getting close to a deep depressive Bobby (Galfianakis), and a suicidal girl Noelle (Roberts). Through his one week mandatory stay at the facility, Craig learns more about his state of mind and that the world isn’t nearly as bad as he makes it out to be, and forges a life long bond with Noelle.

The movie itself is a low key good movie. It won’t blow anyone away but it’s got plenty of laughs and a good message. It has some good abstract scenes in which we are brought stylized into the thoughts and observations of Craigs mind with the world, and how he is dealing with his situation. I was impressed with the 3 main actor’s performances as well, but I think Galafianakis truly stands out in the film. He gets a ton of popularity from “The Hangover” where he was great but this spawned a ton of movies to throw him in there to do his schticky thing and many of them come up short on quality. Here, we get a real performance of a mentally troubled individual who they never give the miracle ending. Keeping it a bit more real to the story. They tend to leave him as a open plot point which is one area I have a problem with with the movie. Not that I have to have a happy ending but they evolve the character so much thru the story and then just use a one sentence to close up his story. It could have been fleshed out just a bit more and wouldn’t have taken much more time from it to do so.  

I enjoyed this movie on a few levels. First I tend to like some abstractness in telling stories and we get a bit of that here. My theory of comical whimsical narrators making movies much better works here as well. It’s also got good characters, funny smart dialog, and one hell of a great song scene. If there is anything other then the flat short ending for Bobby’s story that I didn’t like it would be that they are quite meticulous about telling stories and taking their time at bringing the story along, and then it seems the movie just resolves the main story and ends in one fell swoop. Blink when you think the movie is going well and you will miss that it is over.

While I think many people will like this movie, I think it has a possible good use to be shown to the teenage crowd. As all of us adults know, teenage years are a tough time in our lives and it’s very common to doubt ourselves or get down on the pressures of life. This movie really subtly brings up many of the issues and ideas kids come in contact with and so subtlety addresses them that it’s almost subliminal. It’s a great way to show teenagers that life goes on, and it’s not nearly as hard or as bad as you think it is. A great message movie in my opinion.

Verdict—> A very enjoyable light movie. Even with some abstract parts I don’t think they will turn off anyone who watches it. It’s got a wide appeal and you don’t only have to be a Galafianakis love to enjoy it. Pick it up at the red box when you can I think anyone will like it.

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