It’s Kind of a Funny Story

World-premiering at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. What’s a 16-year-old boy doing playing music and table tennis with adult psychiatric patients – on a school day? It’s kind of a funny story…It’s Kind of a Funny Story, adapted from Ned Vizzini’s 2006 novel of the same name, is the new comedy-drama from acclaimed writer/directors Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden.

It’s @5:00 AM on a Sunday in Brooklyn. Craig Gilner (played by Keir Gilchrist of “United States of Tara”) is bicycling up to the entrance of a mental health clinic; this bright 16-year-old is stressed out from the demands of being a teenager. Before his parents (Lauren Graham [of “Parenthood”] and Jim Gaffigan [of Away We Go]) and younger sister are even awake, Craig checks himself into Argenon Hospital and is admitted by a psychiatrist. But the youth ward is temporarily closed – so he finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby (Zach Galifianakis of The Hangover), soon becomes both Craig’s mentor and protégé. Craig is also quickly drawn to another 16-year-old displaced to the adult ward, the sensitive Noelle (Emma Roberts of the upcoming Scream 4), who just might make him forget his longtime unrequited crush Nia (Zoë Kravitz of the upcoming Mad Max). With a minimum five days’ stay imposed on him by the adult ward’s staff psychiatrist Dr. Eden Minerva (Academy Award nominee Viola Davis), Craig is sustained by friendships on both the inside and the outside as he learns more about life, love, and the pressures of growing up.

Opens in limited release October 8th.

Official Site
Facebook Page

Public Enemies

With the announcement of the Oscars increasing the Best Picture nominees to 10, more deserving films will get exposure regardless of the outcome. Public Enemies will be one of those on the list for the March 7, 2010 Oscars, in my opinion. Not only was it well cast, with Johnny Depp as Dillinger, Christian Bale as Purvis, and Marion Cotillard as Billie, the action and drama were well paced together in the 1930s backdrop of fancy cars, machine guns, and elegantly designed banks. Read more