“That’s not fun, that’s propaganda, man!"


the plot

Craig is a high school student carrying a load of stress about his future and his personal life. He has been seeing a psychologist via outpatient visits, but one night he felt suicidal and almost jumped off of a bridge. He decided to try and get himself admitted into an inpatient psych ward to get his stuff together. He is told that the children and the adults will be sharing the ward while the children’s ward is being updated. When he notices his surroundings, the reality sets in that he is stuck in this place for about a week, he is told to relax and give it a chance.

He quickly makes friends with one of the adults named Bobby, and the two hang out most of the time. He meets a very attractive girl his age named Noelle. She’s a cutter who has attempted suicide in the past. Craig finds that not only is he getting counseling help from his doctor but also the friends he has made with some of the residents. Craig learns that his problems don’t seem so bad compared to these folks, and he doesn’t have to focus on the stressful things in his life.


the breakdown

I have once worked in this field for some time and I found that the movie setting and the circumstances of the facility were very realistic and truthful. This made me appreciate the movie enough to sit back and enjoy it. The stars were appropriately cast in these roles. Zach Galifianakis seems to routinely find himself in roles where his character has some mental health deficiencies and seems to be right at home here. His presence reminds me of someone like Bill Murray in Meatballs, just another big kid, someone who finds it easy to connect with the youths around him, except of course with a slightly darker side. Another thing I found to be true in life is that there are always a number of very attractive young women coming in for depression-related reasons. When I see the very beautiful Emma Roberts getting treatment under observation, it rings very true. Lauren Graham makes a quick appearance as Craig’s mother.  

The only slight bicker I had with this was the social atmosphere. I understand that the social workers and doctors would like to encourage this kind of friendly and highly sociable atmosphere, it doesn’t happen too much in reality. Yet that being said, I liked the arts and crafts therapy and how it can be beneficial for patients. I never understood the importance of it until this film.

My analysis here comes off as a serious film, and although there were some dark subjects lurking underneath the surface, it is a lighthearted romantic comedy at its core. Galifianakis was the main source of funny moments, as were some of the other actors. This is definitely an unusual kind of love story, where the main character meets his soul mate inside a mental ward. Oops, just though of Crazy People.  


It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Directed by: Anna Boden (Sugar, The Big C), Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson,  In Treatment)
Written by: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck (Struggle, Gowanus, Brooklyn)
Starring: Keir Gilchrist (The Rocker, Just Peck, Matty Hanson and the Invisible Ray), Zach Galifianakis (The Muppets, Youth In Revolt, G-Force), Emma Roberts (Valentine’s Day, Nancy Drew, Aquamarine),  Lauren Graham (The Answer Man, Gilmore Girls, Evan Almighty),  Zoe Kravitz (The Brave One, X-Men: First Class)
Length: 101 minutes
Released: October 8th 2010
Rated: PG-13 (strong language, sexual themes)
Rating: 4 stars
@ 499 words – verified Lean and Mean

Recommended: Yes

Movie Mood: Date Movie