Top Shelf Movies: It’s Kind of a Funny Story

I really love movies, and anyone who knows me would probably be able to say that about me, either with a silent sense of reverence or rolled eyes. The movies I own are kept at my apartment in an order that is somewhat special to me, though called arbitrary by some others. My three-shelfed DVD holder is divided based on the value I got from the movies.

The Dewey Decimal System is overrated.

On the top shelf are those movies that I think others should see, as their entertainment value and poignancy are both evident; the second shelf is for movies that are still worth watching, just not a must-see; the third shelf is for movies with a lesser value than that.

If this rack stored beer instead of movies, Budweiser would be on the bottom shelf.

A friend of mine told me that I should blog about movie critiques in my blog. Be careful what you wish for.

Here’s the first movie review I’m giving from my top shelf. All of the TSMs (top shelf movies) are great fodder for thought/discussion while presenting its theme in a way that isn’t boring. I don’t necessarily agree with all of the themes of my TSMs, but think they’re definitely worth discussing.

(BTW- I abhor spoilers with a passion. I will never EVER give away a spoiler to a movie willingly. If I unknowingly do so, please point it out to me in the comments and chastise me.)

TSM – It’s Kind of a Funny Story

A teenager is feeling depressed, so checks himself into the hospital’s mental ward. While there, he learns life lessons and wisdom from the experience and from the patients. This premise seems like a typical bildungsroman or coming-of-age story. Instead of a typical revelation though, Craig’s comes from a place and people generally overlooked by the majority of society. This, coupled with the fact that the first scene in the movie is his recurrent thoughts about suicide causes the reader to see the seriousness of this glimpse into the life of a teenager.

However, the story’s writer acknowledges the somberness of these themes, so peppers the movie with comedic relief (The movie star Zach Galifinakous, for crying out loud.) and with the imaginative and artistic musings of Craig, seen in animations and the movie’s famous “Under Pressure” music video. The result of this quirkiness and somberness is masterful, allowing the audience to really connect with the story and to enjoy the connection. In the tradition of “Scrubs,” my opinion is that a good balance of seriousness and zany antics are a surefire way to be meaningful to your audience.

I mentioned before he imaginings of Craig that show up many times throughout the movie. Whether this is endearing or annoying to you, the movie’s point of view is the showcasing of Craig’s thoughts. This brings up an important discussion point: does this movie promote escapism? Is the solution to Craig’s problems with life only found when he departs from his reality? Symbolically, he escapes reality in his mind when he has his imaginings, and he literally escapes the reality of his life by checking into the mental ward in the first place. According to what this movie proposes, is the only way to “come of age” to escape the reality of life?

I would say not as an end, but as a mean. In other words, for me the distinction lies between “escape” and “retreat.” The movie presents Craig’s retreat from the pressures of his life, not his escape from it. He concentrates on his return to his life the entire duration of the movie. For Craig, like for Jesus, his time spent in the mental institution/desert serves only as a preparatory period for his mission in life.

Maybe the Jesus analogy is too melodramatic.

This movie is on my top shelf because it deals with poignant issues like mental illness, suicide, and depression, in a way that’s entertaining and fun to watch, yet still poignant. Check it out and bring popcorn. Let me know what you think of it in the comments.