It’s Kind of a Funny Story movie review

It’s Kind of a Funny Story by author Ned Vizzini is the newest novel to be adapted by Ryan Fleck and Anne Boden, the co-writers of Half Nelson. This promising movie, released by Focus Features, shows the smart, quirky life of Craig Gilner, a depressed teenager who gets admitted into an adult psychiatric facility after a suicidal episode. Though the movie deals with real, hard-hitting teen issues, Fleck and Boden have been able to create a sort of light-hearted atmosphere with the eclectic characters Craig meets and the way he begins to perceive life.

Craig, played by Keir Gilchrist (United States of Tara), struggles in dealing with the minimum five day stay at the hospital with help from eccentric in-patients and new found mentor, Bobby (Zach Galifinanakis). Bobby’s role in the film was dramatically increased from that of his in the novel, being given the sub-plot of him being a struggling father in the facility while still trying to have a relationship with his daughter. 

At the hospital Craig is able to see his life beyond college applications and prestigious summer programs. Bobby and Noelle, another teen patient, show Craig how to just simply live his life and not worry about others’ expectations of him. Noelle (Emma Roberts) and Craig develop a relationship within the hospital that gives him some hope for outside of the facility.

While the movie is about depression, it is anything but. Instead, the entire story is more of a touching comedy than a heart-wrenching story of a boy struggling. And though the movie is meant to deal with hard issues, it tends to make mental issues seem trivial and is not a good representation of teen depression. It should not be seen as realistic. It seems to be more intended as a representation of teen depression in a light-hearted way. All and all the movie is just not kind of a funny story, this quirky dark comedy truly is one.

Written by Kimberly Terrazas