It's Kind of a Funny Story

Powered by a breakout lead performance that’s nothing short of a revelation from comic star Zach Galifianakis, It’s Kind of a Funny Story is a deft dive into the world of teen angst. It’s also a surprisingly funny film from the directors of Half Nelson and Sugar.

Checking yourself into a psych ward may seem extreme, but if you’re like Craig (Keir Gilchrist) – sixteen years old, attending a school for gifted students and carrying a ticking time bomb of high expectations from your upper-middle-class New York parents – then it can be a mature act of self-preservation. Unfortunately for Craig, a shy, sensitive boy prone to shocking moments of awkwardness, the adolescent ward is being renovated and he can find room only in the adult wing.

Craig quickly learns the ropes of the ward, including how to navigate mandatory activities like group therapy and art class, with some help from his psychiatrist, Dr. Minerva (Viola Davis), and Bobby (Galifianakis), a long-time resident. Bobby proves to be a supportive surrogate father to Craig, challenging the demons that inhibit the teen while juggling profound issues of his own. Craig meets the other troubled patients and they invoke renewed feelings of compassion. Of particular importance is the only other teenager on the ward, Noelle (Emma Roberts), a beautiful, intelligent, yet deeply distressed young woman.

Adapting Ned Vizzini’s bestselling autobiography, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden capture the unerring insight of Vizzini’s writing on young adulthood, while adding some brilliant grace notes of their own. The film is chock full of strong performances – Gilchrist as a captivating lead, Roberts as Noelle, Zoë Kravitz as Nia (a former friend of Craig’s) and the ever-compelling Davis as the good doctor. But the superlative joy here is the performance of Zach Galifianakis, best known for his comic turn in The Hangover. Having lost everything due to his oppressive mental illness, Bobby attacks each day with raw optimism, humour and compassion for everyone around him. His performance leads this film to its deeply affecting conclusion. —TIFF