By Juliana Hoft
Staff Writer
When life gets out of hand, would it be the smartest thing to check into a mental ward? In the witty movie “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” the lead character does just that, but has second thoughts after being admitted.
This movie grabs the viewers’ emotions and is easily relatable for teens. They will identify with this movie because it is about real-life situations that all teens struggle with. The humor in the movie is very clever, while the plotline and story are very charming and heartfelt.
Sixteen-year-old Craig (Keir Gilchrist) has been struggling with depression and dreams of killing himself. He begs a doctor to admit him to a mental ward, and as soon as he is admitted he wants to leave because he feels like he doesn’t belong there.
In his five-day stay at the facility, Craig meets Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), who is reluctant to share why he is there and puts up a front around other people. Throughout Craig’s stay, Bobby begins to open up to him while becoming his role model. He also meets Noelle (Emma Roberts), who struggles with cutting herself, and manages to help Craig forget about his obsession with his friend’s girlfriend, eventually becoming his new love interest.
Galifianakis’s performance is more complex than most of the roles he has done in the past. He plays a troubled father that has tried to kill himself several times and does an incredible job developing his character, incorporating anger and somber maturity very well while remaining humorous.
Through Craig’s encounters with other characters he is able to better understand his life and recognize the positive aspects of it. When Bobby tells him that he is envious of him, he realizes that his life is not as bad as he once thought and that he is grateful for what he does have.
The unique personalities of each of the patients in the ward are one of the movie’s greatest assets. Solomon (Daniel London), a patient that has very sensitive hearing, shows up at the funniest moments to tell people to keep it down when they aren’t even being loud. These situations make the movie all the more enjoyable.
The plotline of the film is well constructed. It was adapted from Ned Vizzini’s 2006 novel of the same name, and though the movie is dull at moments, the suspense of the plotline keeps viewers interested.
Teenagers in particular should see this movie because it is easy to relate to and very humorous. It is rated PG-13 and is playing in theaters nationwide.
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