Part teen movie, part serious look at the lives of the mentally ill, “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” explores what would happen if a typical high school student had to stay in a psychiatric hospital. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Ned Vizzini and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who previously collaborated on 2008’s “Sugar.”
The film revolves around Craig (Keir Gilchrist), a depressed 16-year-old high school student struggling with typical teenage troubles: pressure to get into a good college, fear of disappointing his parents and angst over the fact that he is in love with his best friend Aaron’s (Thomas Mann) girlfriend Nia (Zoë Kravitz). Coupled with his depression, these problems cause Craig to seriously contemplate suicide, prompting him to check himself into a psychiatric hospital.
Most of the movie centers on Craig’s five days in the psychiatric ward. There he meets patients like Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), a troubled man who has been in and out of the psychiatric ward for years, and Noelle (Emma Roberts), a fellow teenager who struggles with self-injury.
During his stay, Craig starts to put his problems in perspective with everyone else’s and realizes that his problems pale in comparison with his blessings – a good family, a great school and amazing prospects. This realization spurs Craig to reach out to his fellow patients while embracing some of his neglected hobbies, like drawing.
Although Gilchrist carries the movie well, Galifianakis is the real acting standout. He balances a calm, witty persona with occasional dramatic outbursts to create a character that is funny, realistic and troubled without being melodramatic. Roberts is also charming and likeable as Noelle, Craig’s eventual love interest.
Even though the film is well-acted, the plot is predictable and the ending feels a bit cliché, despite the narrator’s attempt to break the fourth wall and convince the audience it is not. The movie also relies on breaking the narrative with short montages highlighting the many facets of Craig’s life, which begin to feel overdone as the film wears on.
However, the film overcomes its predictable plot and montage-heavy structure with clever, witty writing. There are plenty of hilarious one-liners and jokes, usually courtesy of Galifianakis’s Bobby. The awkward tension between the patients of the ward also makes for some good laughs, as does the love triangle between Nia, Noelle and Craig.
A lot of the fun of “Funny Story” comes from the classic teen movie tropes it employs – an inserted musical sequence (complete with sequin-heavy costumes), high school drama and illicit escapes from the psychiatric ward set to an upbeat indie soundtrack. However, through Galifianakis’s character, the film also provides a serious glimpse into the life of someone who has a chronic mental illness and how that can affect his family, home and happiness.
Along with this insight, “Funny Story” offers an interesting perspective about the lives of overachieving high school students and how the pressure to succeed can overshadow the simpler joys of being a teenager. This is underscored when, in a serious moment, Bobby tells Craig that he would give anything to walk in his shoes for just a day, because Craig has so much going for him. It’s a message that will certainly be well-received by the average high school or college student.
“It’s Kind of a Funny Story” takes a typical teen movie and subverts it with a serious storyline about mental illness. Boosted by strong acting and solid writing, it makes for a fun – if slightly predictable – movie-going experience.