Craig (Keir Gilchrist) wakes one Sunday morning with the strong desire to take his own life. Instead, he hops on his bike and navigates through the streets of New York to get to the nearest hospital. He is admitted to 3 North, the adult lockdown wing and suddenly feels that his problems aren’t so bad.
He tries to leave but is notified that there is a five day minimum for psych evals and he has been admitted at the behest of a doctor (Aasif Mandvi). Unhappy with the situation, he decides to make the best of it. He takes the time to reflect on his depression and figure out how to bring some happiness into his life.
During his stay he is taken under the wing of Bobby (Zach Galifinakis), a fellow patient who is anxious about being accepted into a group home after the end of his allowed time on the psych wing. Craig meets Noelle (Emma Roberts), a fellow teen who is struggling with depression.
The movie takes place more in Craig’s head than in reality. It was tragically beautiful. Scenarios ran through his head that were so fanciful, when something outrageous was happening, I was unsure if it was something conjured up in his head. There was, however, this one sequence where Craig is introduced to his artistic side and you are taken through an illustration. It was beautiful.
I absolutely adore when a comedian is cast for something other than a comedic role. Don’t get me wrong, watching a comedian in a comedy is great. Seeing them tackle a more dramatic side is much more fascinating to me. As Bobby, Zach Galifinakis flawlessly shifts between absurdly bonkers to incredible troubled within moments. One moment he will be cracking a joke, and the next moment he has an intense emotional outburst that causes your body to react. It was extremely impressive.
I have to tell you, during this movie… I was cringing a bit. It had nothing to do with the movie itself, it had to do with the ability for me to relate to Craig. I think a lot of people have moments where they feel the need to do something drastic. I also think that many people take a look at other people’s problems, then trivialize their own.
I had actually written a post earlier in the year regarding depression. I think that in watching a movie like this or reading a book like the novel it was based on, people should take away the idea that their problems aren’t trivial. If it effects your state of mind, it is important. But it is often surmountable.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story may be playing in a theater near you. Check your local listings and go see it. There’s an outlandish music break in it. I won’t tell you why or where, but I will tell you that Zach’s beard was glittered.
Trivia: Jeremy Davies has been in two movies that I thoroughly enjoyed that either started in or took place in a mental ward. He plays Smitty in this one. Can you name the other?
