BRIGSBY BEAR
Janet's TAKE: #BRIGSBYBEAR is a quirky and sometimes uncomfortable tale of re-entry into society. C+
SNL's Kyle Mooney as James gives an endearing performance but it's not enough to save this rambling film. It is an interesting concept that is not executed very well. The supporting cast includes Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, and Greg Kinnear.Synopsis:
Superfan James is obsessed with the clever if quaintly goofy kids' show Brigsby Bear to the point of
religiosity. A bright, sensitive young adult still living at home, he has grown up with this fantasy series, and the program has grown with him as well — getting more complex over the years. But to say James' intensely protective parents have kept their son a bit sheltered is an understatement.
One dramatic night, James' insular world is upended. Through the disorienting but sporadically hilarious transition to a new life that follows, Brigsby remains James' security blanket and, upon learning the series has been cancelled, he adopts the old adage that the show must go on. Family members and authority figures fret over James' fixation, but by becoming Brigsby Bear's new creator instead of just a viewer in the dark, he finally accesses all the meaningful connections his life has lacked. By telling his story, James repairs it — producing in the process an inventively offbeat and profoundly uplifting love letter to the redemptive power of creativity. - Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, brief sexuality, drug material and teen partying
Running Time: 100 minutes