It’s Kind of a Funny Story is the next One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Although being completely unrealistic with the sappy love story and happy endings, it pulls through with some positive messages like, “don’t check yourself into a mental ward, there are some creepy people in there” and my personal favorite “Zoloft: $86.00, looking at other people’s problems and realizing yours aren’t that bad: Priceless.”
Unfortunately with teenage suicide hogging all newspaper headlines, is this the best time to air a movie like this? Probably not. The comical approach to teen suicide probably wasn't the best idea in a time when more kids take anti depressants then vitamins.
The main character Craig, played by Keir Gilchrist, is checked into 3 North, an adult mental ward, and befriends all sorts of chaotic mentally unstable individuals. Bobby (Zach Galifiankis), a patient in the hospital, immediately becomes his best friend and mentor through his 5 day experience at 3 North. Not only does he have a best friend within a day, but hey! Let’s throw in a girlfriend! Emma Roberts, who plays Noelle takes a great liking to Craig and the two end up fighting and moving on to happily ever after by the end. Want to puke yet?
Whether this should be taught in a classroom or not is debatable. It isn’t terrible but at the same time it has material that isn’t so suitable for children. I mean it’s about a mental hospital, how suitable could it get? I think it’s how the student perceives it. It could go either way. They could look at it as if suicide was a complete joke, or they could see the deeply hidden corny messages. Personally, I think they would relate to it, only because it’s from a comical teen’s point of view.
I give It’s Kind of a Funny Story 3 out of five stars. It’s kind of funny, it’s kind of sad and it’s kind of an alright movie.