crazy, but true

movieland has run out of original stories. yeah, ok, you get that. i know. but seriously, take a look at the movies out these days. on the summer roster of apx. 125 movies, about 30 are remakes, sequels, or stories cribbed from another source (best sellers, classics, comics...). studios have been quick to finance flashy stories with little to no plot, (comics in particular. i'm betting is has something to do with the fancy cars and explosions) and lately there have been a lot of uninspired flops. Jonah Hex, anyone?

that said, there is one book-to-movie conversion i'm super psyched about.


It's Kind of a Funny Story

there was this one time some dude asked me what i was reading while i was waiting for my bus. i said, "a book about high school students". he nodded and then asked, "do you like it?" which seemed like a dumb question at the time. i usually read books that i like. unless theyre homework. and this wasnt homework. despite my eyeroll, he continued. "do you identify with the characters?" i shrugged. not because the answer to the question was "no", but because this stranger was awfully forward. he was starting to creep me out, but the bus was pulling up to that curb any minute and its not like i could blow him off by walking away. i went back to reading. he went back to not getting the hint. one more question: "now, what grade are you in?" if i had only known he was after pretty young things, i would have told him i just finished grad school at the start of the weird exchange. instead i killed the conversation right there. 

but i digress.

the book that started that interrogation was Tales of the Madman Underground - another story about crazy kids, sure, but ones with extraordinary circumstances that make them so. Ned Vizzini's It's Kind of a Funny Story, on the other hand, is so charming exactly because its narrator, Craig, suffers from a kind of crazy that's just...so...normal.

he's 15 (stressful enough), enrolled in a super competitive high school (kids these days! start their testing from pre-K), can't seem to have a successful personal relationship (anti-psychotics and their side effects), and has a habit of fixating on small worries, turning them into giant panic attacks about the future fate of the world. at almost twice his age, i feel like i've got the same problems. without the suicidal thoughts, of course, which is why Craig checks himself into a mental health clinic. hilarity ensues and lessons are learned when a hospital remodeling forces Craig into the adult psych ward.

so, a tiny list of reasons why you should see this movie...

1. downtrodden, but likeable hero, trying to answer the big questions in life
2. slightly less silly (read: more approachable) zach galifianakis (i totally spelled that without double checking)
3. daniel faraday! in a hat!
4. carefully selected indie soundtrack for maximum emotional punch

now that you're convinced, go watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_pq7HKc9z8

it's like christmas morn in the movie theatres. the only thing that could make the awesome adaptation any better is if it was a double feature with John Green's Paper Towns (have i mentioned my soft spot for disaffected youth?). but since that's not due to happen any time soon, i'll settle for another promising adaptation involving canadian humour (note the extra "u"), video game metaphors, and michael cera.

Stay tuned for: A Scott Pilgrim Squee

EDIT: this John Green promo on the amazon site is high-larious.