By Some of the most brilliant films succeed largely due to their ability to find the extraordinary in the mundane. That is, they portray situations or characters that initially seem to stray little from the realities of normal life, yet by their conclusions achieve a certain measure of unexpected wonder.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story is, in many ways, a story entirely opposite of this quality. It instead presents a situation that many of us will never experience, but somehow manages to make it seem so horribly normal. While the strength of the supporting cast helps to carry the film through most of its running time, the reality is that what the actors are carrying is a pretty mediocre film.
Some of the most brilliant films succeed largely due to their ability to find the extraordinary in the mundane. That is, they portray situations or characters that initially seem to stray little from the realities of normal life, yet by their conclusions achieve a certain measure of unexpected wonder.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story is, in many ways, a story entirely opposite of this quality. It instead presents a situation that many of us will never experience, but somehow manages to make it seem so horribly normal. While the strength of the supporting cast helps to carry the film through most of its running time, the reality is that what the actors are carrying is a pretty mediocre film.{{page_break}}
The story opens with Craig (Keir Gilchrist) contemplating suicide atop a New York bridge. This contemplation leads him into seeking help at a local hospital where he is admitted to the inpatient mental health ward. After meeting some of the other patients, including a much older Bobby (Zach Galifianakis) and a beautiful but troubled girl named Noelle (Emma Roberts), he begins to feel that he doesn’t belong. When he learns that he’s required to stay for at least five days, he resigns himself to the fact that he’ll have to work out his issues before being allowed to leave.
Those issues, however, are one of the main problems of the film. Essentially, Craig’s problems boil down to the exact same problems that every teenager goes through — the film even admits this before its conclusion. While there’s nothing wrong with making a film like this, it essentially makes for a story that doesn’t feel original in any way. Craig has girl troubles. He’s not happy with the pressure his dad puts on him. His mother is overbearing. Yeah, I’m pretty sure there are a half-dozen sitcoms just like that.
This perhaps could have been remedied somewhat had Craig been a more likable character, but he isn’t. Gilchrist essentially plays him as if he’s every angst-laden teenager out there, and it’s simply not fun or meaningful to watch. He has no quirks and no endearing qualities other than a sudden revelation that he turns into a rock god whenever he sings Queen’s “Under Pressure.” Yes, it is as awkward as it sounds.
Where the film does succeed, however, is in its supporting cast. Galifianakis has one particularly shocking meltdown that should open a lot of new roles to him. This isn’t a particularly comedic turn for him (though there are a few great laughs that he’s responsible for), which makes his success in it all the more impressive. Even when he’s not making you laugh, you have to sigh in disappointment any time he leaves the screen.
Still, even Galifianakis doesn’t make the film good. He’s given relatively few lines that are anything but somewhat funny, somewhat smart, or somewhat endearing. The script is just simplistic, to put it simply. It never shows a modicum of ambition, even when it has ample opportunity, such as that provided by the Egyptian patient who refuses to leave his room or the pretty girl who cuts herself.
Many other supporting characters really shine, and that’s the main problem of It’s Kind of a Funny Story. The story that the film focuses on is by far the least engaging of all the tales involved, and each time the audience gets a glimpse into the life of one of those characters, it wishes it were watching that film instead. What we’re stuck with is simply a mundane film about someone we don’t care about, and all the while we’re tempted by glimpses into better stories.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story isn’t kind of a funny story. It’s a shockingly unremarkable story about a shockingly unremarkable character who is constantly surrounded by people with more interesting stories. Had one of those stories been explored instead, this might have been a much better film.
Toby Jones
Overall Score: 60 — It’s Kind of a Funny Story is well intentioned, but interchangeable from any other inspirational, teen-oriented coming of age dramedy. Read his full review here.