High School's tough, so Craig tries a psych ward. Craig is a16-year-old kid who seemingly has everything in the world going forhim, good family and friends and good grades, but Craig is suicidal anddoesn't understand why, so he checks himself into a psychiatric ward totry and cure himself without his high school friends knowing that he'sbeen committed. As is per movies such as this, Craig discovers himselfover his five day stay at the psych ward, making friends and helpingchange their lives whilst also discovering love, but unlike many othermovies, it works so organically within this story that it isbelievable.

The opening scene shows Craig getting up on the edge of a suspensionbridge, about to jump, then he is stopped by his parents, who are onlystopping Craig because they want to know what to do with the expensivebike in which they bought him, if he commits suicide. Of course, thiswas all a dream, but it sets the tone for the rest of the movie. It'sKind of a Funny Story laces the typically untouchable subjects of thehuman psyche that make people squirm and it makes you not just laughabout it, but understand it in the way in which we need to understandin order to cure our psychological problems.

Craig learns self-empowerment, that he actually has something going forhim in life, and that the unhappiness he was exhibiting was because hewas not living the life he wanted. This is demonstrated in somespectacular sequences, including one where the entire cast of the moviesings Queen's "Under Pressure" as if in an '80s glam rock music video,or an animated sequence that careens through cartoony city streetsshowing the unlocking of Craig's artistic abilities. And actually, themovie takes itself seriously. These sequences all take place in Craig'smind, as do many other sequences in the movie. Craig's voice-overscoupled with his imagination transpire through dream sequences as towhat he's thinking at the moment, what all his friends at school arethinking, or any other thing that may transpire in a teenage boy'smind. It is through these dream sequences and almost FerrisBueller-like asides from Craig that make this movie the rich andemotional experience that it is.

While It's Kind of a Funny Story is technically a comedy, any comedythat comes within the story only comes through the characters simplybeing the characters and not through Hollywood contrivances of plot andstory. The acting is spot on, never really a sour note with KeirGilchrist as Craig or Ema Roberts as his love, Noel. Possibly the mostsurprising performance is that of comedian Zach Galifinakis, whodelivers a fine dramatic performance as psych ward patient and Craig'sbest friend, Bobby, and while Galifinakis is given plenty of moments tomake you laugh, the through line of his character's desire to be withhis daughter but not being able to overcome his depression is quitepossibly the most moving aspect of this piece of cinema.

It's Kind of a Funny Story is what I'd imagine the result would be ifJohn Hughes decided to make a movie about a suicidal teen, supplementhis usual High School aesthetic and applying it to a psychiatric ward,that in all actuality has way more intriguing options for interestingcharacters than an ordinary high school. While the movie is coated bythe directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (Half Nelson) with an overtindy, hipster aesthetic, much like last year's (500) Days of Summer itdoes not deter from the sheer enjoyment and impact that you get uponwatching this heartwarming movie.

I give It's Kind of a Funny Story a 9 out of 10!

Ned Vizzini's novel "It's Kind of a Funny Story" is an incrediblyaccurate portrayal of what it's like to live with hyper-anxiety. Ishould know. It's a condition I've had as long as I can remember.Unfortunately the movie adaptation is a little lacking.

Co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck seem to want to do a film thatdoes for mental hospitals what Wes Anderson's "Rushmore" did for prepschools. Like "Rushmore", "Funny Story" gives us quirky characters, awink-nod style of editing, and an eclectic soundtrack. However, Bodenand Fleck lack Anderson's wry sense of humor and his willingness tomake his characters unlikable.

In the Jason Schwartzman role is Keir Gilchrist as Craig, anover-stressed 15-year-old who checks himself into a hospital forsuicidal depression. Unfortunately, the teen psychiatric wing is underconstruction and he is put into the adult section. In the Bill Murrayrole is Zach Galifianakis as Bobby, who becomes Craig's best friend andmentor--largely because they both see themselves at a different age ineach other.

The acting is superb all around. Especially Galifianakis. Like BillMurray in "Rushmore", he shows the dark underside of his comic persona.This is not to say the viewer won't recognize his shtick from otherfilms. His funniest moment (I thought) was lip-syncing the David Bowiepart to Queen's "Under Pressure".

Where the movie falls short is that--probably to keep the film PG-13 soteens could see it--all the references to pot-smoking from the book aregone and the sex is very toned-down. Also, there is the issue of racialpolitical correctness in the casting: In the book, Craig's psychiatristDr. Minerva is a Greek immigrant and his unrequited crush Nia ishalf-Asian-half-Jewish. In the film they're both African-American,played by Viola Davis and Zoe Kravitz respectively. And I wasdisappointed that Asif Mandvi was limited to one scene as Dr. Mahmoud.In the book, he's the most important non-white character, but in thefilm, most of his lines are given to Jeremy Davis as Smitty thevolunteer. (If there is any justice in the world, Asif will be the next"Daily Show" star to blow up.)

But my biggest complaint is that they didn't include what I thoughtwere the book's biggest concepts: "tentacles" (responsibilities thatbreed even more responsibilities that often conflict with each other),"anchors" (things that can be enjoyed just for themselves withoutcomplication), and "the shift" (the hoped-for moment when the anxietygoes away and one can live a normal life). Without these concepts, it'simpossible to explain to an outsider how Craig feels.

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" is a wonderful book that answers thequestion that I heard too many adults asking when I was in my teens and20's: "Why would anyone want to kill themselves when they're too youngto have any real problems?" The film is a well-acted piece thatunfortunately only scratches the surface of what the book has to say.

I wanted to see "It's Kind of a Funny Story" for two reasons: first,because Zach Galifianakis is in it, and he is usually hilarious, andsecond, because I read the book by Ned Vizzini and loved it. I alwaysbelieve it's best to read a book before seeing the movie upon which itis based. However, if the book is really good, the movie has thepotential to be very disappointing (case in point: "The Bonfire of theVanities" (1990)). The movie differs from the book in a lot of ways,and I still think the book is better. However, it's still a solidmovie, and has many strengths to it.

Writing and directing duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck ("Half Nelson"(2006)) were the team behind this comedy-drama. They wrote the scriptwithout Vizzini, and probably shaped the story so that Galifianakis'character, Bobby, would have a stronger supporting role. Although therewas a "Bobby" in the original story, he was not as significant in thebook as he is here.

The basic story, however, remains mainly the same. Craig (KeirGilchrist of TV's "United States of Tara" (2009)), is a depressed16-year-old New Yorker who checks himself into a hospital in fear thathe might throw himself off the Brooklyn Bridge. The suicide hotline hecalled suggests he do this, and he initially assumes it will be justone doctor's appointment to refill his prescription of Zoloft that hestopped taking a month earlier. Instead, he is checked into a hospitalward of suicidal patients like himself, where his psychiatrist, Dr.Eden Minerva (Academy Award nominee Viola Davis, "Doubt" (2008))recommends he stay a minimum of five days.

This movie is more like a John Hughes film than "One Flew Over TheCuckoo's Nest" (1975), a film it will inevitably be compared to.Whereas the Milos Foreman classic (and the Ken Kesey novel) is moreallegorical to anti-establishment practices, "It's Kind of a FunnyStory" emphasizes people who could not deal with the pressures of thereal world, or at least temporarily.

The film touches upon the pressures that Craig feels, which could becontributors to his depression. He goes to an elite public school, hehas a friend Aaron (Thomas Mann) who succeeds without working as hardas Craig does, Aaron is dating Craig's crush Nia (Zoe Kravitz), andCraig is in constant fear of future failure. A lot of young actorscould have been over-the-top in playing a kid who cannot take thesepressures. However, Gilchrist has a quiet reservation to him that makeshim believable. Vizzini's first person narration in the novel helpedmake Craig's character more sympathetic, but Gilchrist did well withwhat he was given, and even had some funny deadpan moments.

Of course, Galifianakis is best known for his deadpan humor, and becamean A-lister for it thanks to "The Hangover" (2009) and his increasinglypopular stand-up comedy acts. While he has his funny moments here, suchas pretending to be a girl Craig likes to build up Craig's confidencearound women, there are also some moments where his character is trulyheartbreaking. One part that really got to me was when he returns froma job interview with his buttoned-up shirt around his head like aturban. When you think it's going to be a funny moment, he then picksup a sofa cushion and screams into it, thereby telling you exactly howthe interview went.

Galifianakis isn't the only actor in this film who delivers asurprisingly strong performance. Viola Davis took a role that couldhave been forgettable and added heart to it. Emma Roberts is best knownfor her roles in kids movies ("Nancy Drew" (2007), "Hotel for Dogs"(2009)) and gives real depth to Noelle, another suicidal patient on theward who Craig develops a crush on. Gilchrist and Roberts have greatchemistry together in their scenes too.

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" is just that: It is very funny in someparts, and a bit sad in others. It is never depressing to the pointwhere you would want to check yourself into a psychiatric ward afterseeing it, nor does it seem to glamorize the mental health process.While the movie does not have the emotional depth that Vizzini's firstperson narrative does, it is still worth checking out. However,regardless of whether you read the book first before seeing the movieor not, I strongly recommend reading the book. Ned Vizzini is a greatwriter, and we may see his previous novel, "Be More Chill" adapted intoa movie soon also.