Movie Breakdown: Brigsby Bear

Pre-Screening Stance:

I haven’t seen any of director Dave McCary’s other efforts, so I don’t know whether or not I should be excited about his Brigsby Bear.  I will say this though, I like the quirky look of it.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Brigsby Bear is a tough one to talk about because it’s honestly better if you go into it knowing nothing at all.  Don’t watch the trailers, don’t read any summaries.  Hell, it might even be a good idea to not glance at the poster up above.  Just run out and see it!

Or, if you’d like some more info, here’s a rundown.  James (Kyle Mooney) loves Brisgby Bear Adventures, a TV show that features a big bear who goes on … adventures.  Things aren’t quite what you’d expect though, as James doesn’t just love the show, he’s 100% obsessed with it because he doesn’t really have anything else in his life.  Unsurprisingly, this makes things for James pretty difficult when the show gets unceremoniously canceled and he then finds himself having to figure out the real world while dealing with the subtraction of his most cherished thing.  This “adjustment” that has to happen essentially makes Brigsby Bear a coming of age tale, but – thankfully – the film stiff arms the usual formula and instead of having James change, it’s actually the supporting characters around him that end up having to redefine themselves.  How refreshing.

Brigsby Bear is a charming, oddball little dramedy that’s immensely heartfelt and loaded with wonderful little surprises.  I laughed, I got a bit choked up, and I cheered.  You should see it ASAP.

One Last Thought:

It was really nice to see Mark Hamill do something other than voice-work or Star Wars flicks.  The guy is a good actor and he should be in more stuff!  How do we make that happen?