Okay, I was actually expecting less from the film, but I'm actually impressed by it. I watched it through Amazon.com, since, apparently, the movie had limited screening, and to my knowledge, was only shown in California and Florida. O___O Anyways, the movie seemed abit boring in the beginning. The movie dived into the book pretty quick. Like, it started off near the middle of the book, and excluded any 'minor action' that happened in the book. And alot of characters were excluded too, like Armelio, some of the doctors/other patients, his pet dogs, and etc. And I don't want to sound like a racist but they made Dr.Minerva black in the movie! She was clearly a lightly tanned Greek woman, as stated in the first few pages of the novel.
Anyways... onto analyzing the movie in a more 'film term wise' way.
There were multiple scenes in the movie where Craig would narrate over a still picture. For example, the first time this occured in the movie, was right before he landed in the ocean jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, explaining that he would normally wake up sweating at this point (obviously, it was some sort of nightmare he was going through/explaining). This happens mostly when Craig is talking about his friends, Aaron, Nia, his family (mother, father, 'brainiac' little sister and etc.). I think its a cool little effect, though I'm sure I've seen it in other movies before.
Also, there were scenes like 'fantasies' throughout the movie. Like when he is put to do vocals/sing for a 'Musical Discovery' activity, all the patients turn into rockstars!, complete with mohawks, tight pants, and a whole lotta emotion! XD It's great, really. It takes the ordinary activity of music to a WHOLE/ENTIERLY new level.
Back to the overall 'theme' of the movie: It seemed pretty boring in the beginning, I thought the movie would be worse though. GLADLY, it wasn't. It got more fun to the end. BUT, now that I think about it, it kind of relates to Craig's condition, it starts of 'sucking', and ends up alright by the end of his 5-day stay at Argenon Hospital/the end of the novel/movie. To my surprise, Craig didn't seem as akward as I thought he would be (*see my post on the reviews this film had for a reference*). All of the actors were great, and they played their roles very well. I would suggest more justice to the other patients at the Phsyc Hospital but whatever, tell that to the director/producer of the film.
The movie could have done a better job of 'telling Ned's story', but hey, screen time is limited, and movie makers have budgets. Watch the movie! You'll enjoy it. It has a little bit of everything: Insanity, Happiness, Sadness, Hope, and whatever else you'd expect in a movie thats 'Kind of a Funny Story'. The movie is avaliable on Amazon.com to buy/rent/view online, or you can always contact your local bootlegger and make some connections. Enjoy! :D
Here's some links from Amazon.com if you're interested in watching the movie the 'legal way', and without having to take a trip to California or Florida.
DVD: http://www.amazon.com/Kind-Funny-Story-Zach-Galifianakis/dp/B0034G4OZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1298694693&sr=8-1-spell
Blu-Ray: http://www.amazon.com/Its-Kind-Funny-Story-Blu-ray/dp/B0034G4OZO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1298694693&sr=8-2-spell
As always, HAVE FUN!!! :D
Monday, February 21, 2011
IKOAFS Book Post #3: Pgs. 276- 444
Summary:
ALOT happens in this chunk of the novel. Craig hooks up with Noelle, heck, he even hooks up with Nia! He makes friends, breaks friends, and decides he wants to transfer to a school for art. Why? During one of the art activities/workshops he attended, Craig had an art-block, and Noelle told him to draw something from his childhood, this reminds him of the maps he used to make as a kid/child. He realises, these maps are his escape, his Anchor. They make him feel happy, accomplished. Long story short, he realises why he should't kill himself, and he leaves the hospital with many friends, hoping to return as a voluneer during 'Musical Discovery', to help patients like his friend and former-tour guide, Bobby, or his roommate, Muqtada, who barely gets out of bed. He is starting his life anew, and from now on, its a straight road to success, even if it doesn't mean going to Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School.
Quote:
I feel my stomach and liver and all that mushy stuff that's in there handling food, happy to be back in use. But most of all I feel my brain, up there taking in blood and looking out on the world and noticing humor and light and smells and dogs and every other think in the world-- everything in my life is all in my brain, really, so it would be natural that when my brain was screwed up, everything in my life would be.
I feel my brain on top of my spine and I feel it shift a little bit to the left.
That's it. It happens in my brain once the rest of my body has moved. I don't know where my brain went. It got knocked off-kilter somewhere. It got caught up in some crap it couldn't deal with. But now it's back-- connected to my spine and ready to take charge.
Jeez, why was I trying to kill myself?
It's a huge thing, this Shift, just as big as I imagined. My brain doesn't want to think anymore; all of a sudden it wants to do.
Run. Eat. Drink. Eat more. ------ Take these verbs and enjoy them. They're yours, Craig. You deserve them because you chose them. You could have left them all behind but you chose to stay here.
So now live for real, Craig. Live. Live. Live. Live. Live (Vizzini 442-444).
Reaction:
I'm glad he got out a-ok! XD I was expecting a full recovery (even though he still isn't fully cured, and could fall back into being depressed any minute/moment), but this novel went out with a bang. I love the final few pages of the novel too. It's like a 'lesson learned' kind of thing. Craig finally got the 'Shift' he was eagerly waiting for, and he now realizes that it would be dumb to ever think about killing yourself, nevertheless trying to kill yourself, because you would be missing out on life; Love, happiness, adventure, and etc. Great novel. More teens should read this book. I know, that just like the book, school pressures kids, and makes them depressed or whatever. This book would be kind of like the book Craig read before he called the Suicide Hotline, which saved his life. How to Survive the Loss of a Love. Hopefully this book will help others survive, and heal themselves, too.
ALOT happens in this chunk of the novel. Craig hooks up with Noelle, heck, he even hooks up with Nia! He makes friends, breaks friends, and decides he wants to transfer to a school for art. Why? During one of the art activities/workshops he attended, Craig had an art-block, and Noelle told him to draw something from his childhood, this reminds him of the maps he used to make as a kid/child. He realises, these maps are his escape, his Anchor. They make him feel happy, accomplished. Long story short, he realises why he should't kill himself, and he leaves the hospital with many friends, hoping to return as a voluneer during 'Musical Discovery', to help patients like his friend and former-tour guide, Bobby, or his roommate, Muqtada, who barely gets out of bed. He is starting his life anew, and from now on, its a straight road to success, even if it doesn't mean going to Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School.
Quote:
I feel my stomach and liver and all that mushy stuff that's in there handling food, happy to be back in use. But most of all I feel my brain, up there taking in blood and looking out on the world and noticing humor and light and smells and dogs and every other think in the world-- everything in my life is all in my brain, really, so it would be natural that when my brain was screwed up, everything in my life would be.
I feel my brain on top of my spine and I feel it shift a little bit to the left.
That's it. It happens in my brain once the rest of my body has moved. I don't know where my brain went. It got knocked off-kilter somewhere. It got caught up in some crap it couldn't deal with. But now it's back-- connected to my spine and ready to take charge.
Jeez, why was I trying to kill myself?
It's a huge thing, this Shift, just as big as I imagined. My brain doesn't want to think anymore; all of a sudden it wants to do.
Run. Eat. Drink. Eat more. ------ Take these verbs and enjoy them. They're yours, Craig. You deserve them because you chose them. You could have left them all behind but you chose to stay here.
So now live for real, Craig. Live. Live. Live. Live. Live (Vizzini 442-444).
Reaction:
I'm glad he got out a-ok! XD I was expecting a full recovery (even though he still isn't fully cured, and could fall back into being depressed any minute/moment), but this novel went out with a bang. I love the final few pages of the novel too. It's like a 'lesson learned' kind of thing. Craig finally got the 'Shift' he was eagerly waiting for, and he now realizes that it would be dumb to ever think about killing yourself, nevertheless trying to kill yourself, because you would be missing out on life; Love, happiness, adventure, and etc. Great novel. More teens should read this book. I know, that just like the book, school pressures kids, and makes them depressed or whatever. This book would be kind of like the book Craig read before he called the Suicide Hotline, which saved his life. How to Survive the Loss of a Love. Hopefully this book will help others survive, and heal themselves, too.
Friday, January 28, 2011
IKOAFS Book Post #2: Pgs. 94- 275
Summary:
In the beginning of this chunk of reading/text, Craig is talking about his new high school, and how the work is overwhelming him. He is beginning to think that even though he got the highest possible score on the test (800, which apparently, everyone else got on the test), he is starting to think that he isn't exactly 'smart', and that all of the other students are better than him. This gets him depressed. Well, actually, he starts of with stress-vomiting. All of the work he is behind on made him stressed out, until he actually thought about killing himself, jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. LUCKILY enough, Craig took the right steps, called the Suicide Hotline (coincidentially, 1-800-SUICIDE), and checked himself into Argenon Hospital, Adult Phsychiatric (since, there was not enough space for any more teens, the hospital was undergoing renovations). Here, Craig becomes accustomed to living in the hospital with the other mentally ill patients, and gets a routine lifestyle. He's even makin new friends here! The patients are odd, but friendly. Craig is now diagnosed (is that the right term? :P) with Clinical Depression. So far, Craig has been in the hospital for about 2 days, and he has to finish a required 5 days in the hospital to get a pass to leave, and finish another pile of unfinished schoolwork. Now, he is going to his first daily activity, Arts and Crafts.
Quote:
Nurse Monica leans back with her moon face.
"As you know, we have certain activities on the floor."
"Right."
"On your first day you are excused from activities, but after that you are expected to attend on a daily basis."
"Okay."
"That means you start today. This is an opportunity for you to expplore your interests. So I ask you: what are your hobbies?"
Bad question, Monica.
"I don't have any."
"Aha. None at all?"
"No."
I work, Monica, and I think about work, and I freak out about work, and I think about how much I think about work, and I freak out about how much I think about how much I think about work, and I think about how freaked out I get about how much I think about how much I think about work. Does that count as a hobby?
"I see." She takes some notes. "So we can put you in any activity group."
"I guess." (Vizzini 273-274).
Response:
I love Craig's logic (though he's depressed). He keeps all of his thoughts to himself, and expresses them differently. He even does this when he is asked if he smoked/smokes. He DOES/DID smoke pot, but he doesn't mention this to anyone, since he doesn't want to end up on the 'most wanted list for pot-smokers'. Craig is supposed to be relaxing while hes in the hospital, yet, he's STILL acting up over school work hes missing. He physically feels better (he can eat without throwing it back up), but hes still too worried about high school. And he's sarcastic about it! :D At least he jokes about his condition. A smile a day keeps the doctor away, or not. Anyways, even though he seems ordinary, hes, as his friend Humble (real name: Humboldt Koper) says it, "He's crafty." (Vizzini 252).
In the beginning of this chunk of reading/text, Craig is talking about his new high school, and how the work is overwhelming him. He is beginning to think that even though he got the highest possible score on the test (800, which apparently, everyone else got on the test), he is starting to think that he isn't exactly 'smart', and that all of the other students are better than him. This gets him depressed. Well, actually, he starts of with stress-vomiting. All of the work he is behind on made him stressed out, until he actually thought about killing himself, jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. LUCKILY enough, Craig took the right steps, called the Suicide Hotline (coincidentially, 1-800-SUICIDE), and checked himself into Argenon Hospital, Adult Phsychiatric (since, there was not enough space for any more teens, the hospital was undergoing renovations). Here, Craig becomes accustomed to living in the hospital with the other mentally ill patients, and gets a routine lifestyle. He's even makin new friends here! The patients are odd, but friendly. Craig is now diagnosed (is that the right term? :P) with Clinical Depression. So far, Craig has been in the hospital for about 2 days, and he has to finish a required 5 days in the hospital to get a pass to leave, and finish another pile of unfinished schoolwork. Now, he is going to his first daily activity, Arts and Crafts.
Quote:
Nurse Monica leans back with her moon face.
"As you know, we have certain activities on the floor."
"Right."
"On your first day you are excused from activities, but after that you are expected to attend on a daily basis."
"Okay."
"That means you start today. This is an opportunity for you to expplore your interests. So I ask you: what are your hobbies?"
Bad question, Monica.
"I don't have any."
"Aha. None at all?"
"No."
I work, Monica, and I think about work, and I freak out about work, and I think about how much I think about work, and I freak out about how much I think about how much I think about work, and I think about how freaked out I get about how much I think about how much I think about work. Does that count as a hobby?
"I see." She takes some notes. "So we can put you in any activity group."
"I guess." (Vizzini 273-274).
Response:
I love Craig's logic (though he's depressed). He keeps all of his thoughts to himself, and expresses them differently. He even does this when he is asked if he smoked/smokes. He DOES/DID smoke pot, but he doesn't mention this to anyone, since he doesn't want to end up on the 'most wanted list for pot-smokers'. Craig is supposed to be relaxing while hes in the hospital, yet, he's STILL acting up over school work hes missing. He physically feels better (he can eat without throwing it back up), but hes still too worried about high school. And he's sarcastic about it! :D At least he jokes about his condition. A smile a day keeps the doctor away, or not. Anyways, even though he seems ordinary, hes, as his friend Humble (real name: Humboldt Koper) says it, "He's crafty." (Vizzini 252).
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
IKOAFS Movie Post 1: Movie Review
According to A. O. Scott's review of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s adaptation of the novel by Ned Vizzini, "It's Kind of a Funny Story" is "disarmingly gentle, sweet and whimsical" (Scott).
Though I've only seen various trailers of the movie thus far, I can say I'm going to have to agree. The movie seems to take on a lighter mood, where the novel takes on a more serious (yet, still funny) mood.
The review also stated that "Mr. Gilchrist (the guy who play's as Craig in the film) is a friendly, somewhat tentative (doubtful) screen presence, but Craig has enough intelligence and humor to be both an agreeable central character and a charming guide to life in the adult psych ward" (Scott).
I gotta agree here too, maybe it's just how the director/producer protrayed Craig as, but it seems as if Craig appears kind of 'awkward' throughout the whole movie (or as Scott said, tentative). (But again, I've only seen the trailers for the film so, what I say may not be true :P).
"There are humor and pathos, but a crucial dimension of intensity is missing. The best I can say is that it’s kind of a good movie" (Scott).
I had high hopes for this guy until this last sentence he ended his review with. I mean, it was kind of witty that he used to novel/movie's title to summarize his overall thoughts of the book, but I find it kind of mocking. With 'intensity missing', I agree. There's no way you can reproduce the original story Vizzini made. The mind of a director and an author are two different things, so I can see why the movie might be 'toned down' a bit.
Work Cited:
Scott, A. O. "A Coming-of-Age Tale, Set Among the Sad." The New York Times, Web. October 7th, 2010. Viewed on January 25th, 2011. http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/movies/08funny.html?scp=1&sq=it's%20kind%20of%20a%20funny%20story%20movie%20review&st=cse.
(*sorry, I couldn;t get the spacing to work out for the citation D: *)!!
Friday, January 21, 2011
IKOAFS Book Post #1: Pgs. 0-94
Summary:
The novel is about a teenager, Craig Gilner, who has depression. The story starts off with him at at his friends house, refusing to smoke pot, to see if that's what makes him 'depressed'; the pot or the lack of it. Aside from having depression, he also has trouble eating. On some days, he'll eat and actually digest it, and on other days, he'll just throw up whatever he puts in his mouth. Craig used to live in Manhattan, and now lives in Brooklyn, which he said is a less productive place. Speaking of places, he loved to draw maps. He knew all of the streets and avenues around his home at a very young age. The cause of his depression is still being unfolded, but as far as I've read, ever since he got into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, or 'last fall', he got depressed, and he has been awaiting a switch (things to go back to normal) since then. The MEFPPHS (for short) required you to pass an exam to get in. Craig studied non stop for a whole year, and aced the entry exam, 800 out of 800. Only problem is, the school and work load is too tough to handle. (AND, Craig likes things with rules, like videogames, ex. do this, don;t hit that, survive)
Quote:
"My stomach hitches as I leave the table.
What were you trying to do, soldier?
I was trying to eat, sir!
And what happened?
I got caught thinking about some crap, sir!
What kind of crap?
How I want to live less than my parents' dog.
Are you still concentrated on the enemy, soldier?
I don't think so.
Do you even know who the enemy is?
I think... it's me.
That's right.
I have to concentrate on myself.
Yes. But not right now, because now you're going to the bathroom to throw up! It's tough to fight when you're throwing up!" (Vizzini 45).
Reaction(to the quote):
I find it kind of cool that Craig compares his struggle like a drill sargent is talking to him. Hence the 'yes, sir!'. It makes it more apparent of how much of a battle it is for Craig to even eat/keep on living anymore. Also, I noticed a change in tone where the other speaker asks Craig who the enemy is, but then again, it switchs tone when we get back to the reality that he is throwing up. It's a battle with himself! Man vs. Himself conflict! Anyways, in the beginning, the novel was hard to follow/read, but I;ve gotten the gist of it now. Craig seems pretty laid back to be depressed too. :P Anyways, I'm still too early in the book to tell, off to more reading/movie watching!!! :D
The novel is about a teenager, Craig Gilner, who has depression. The story starts off with him at at his friends house, refusing to smoke pot, to see if that's what makes him 'depressed'; the pot or the lack of it. Aside from having depression, he also has trouble eating. On some days, he'll eat and actually digest it, and on other days, he'll just throw up whatever he puts in his mouth. Craig used to live in Manhattan, and now lives in Brooklyn, which he said is a less productive place. Speaking of places, he loved to draw maps. He knew all of the streets and avenues around his home at a very young age. The cause of his depression is still being unfolded, but as far as I've read, ever since he got into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, or 'last fall', he got depressed, and he has been awaiting a switch (things to go back to normal) since then. The MEFPPHS (for short) required you to pass an exam to get in. Craig studied non stop for a whole year, and aced the entry exam, 800 out of 800. Only problem is, the school and work load is too tough to handle. (AND, Craig likes things with rules, like videogames, ex. do this, don;t hit that, survive)
Quote:
"My stomach hitches as I leave the table.
What were you trying to do, soldier?
I was trying to eat, sir!
And what happened?
I got caught thinking about some crap, sir!
What kind of crap?
How I want to live less than my parents' dog.
Are you still concentrated on the enemy, soldier?
I don't think so.
Do you even know who the enemy is?
I think... it's me.
That's right.
I have to concentrate on myself.
Yes. But not right now, because now you're going to the bathroom to throw up! It's tough to fight when you're throwing up!" (Vizzini 45).
Reaction(to the quote):
I find it kind of cool that Craig compares his struggle like a drill sargent is talking to him. Hence the 'yes, sir!'. It makes it more apparent of how much of a battle it is for Craig to even eat/keep on living anymore. Also, I noticed a change in tone where the other speaker asks Craig who the enemy is, but then again, it switchs tone when we get back to the reality that he is throwing up. It's a battle with himself! Man vs. Himself conflict! Anyways, in the beginning, the novel was hard to follow/read, but I;ve gotten the gist of it now. Craig seems pretty laid back to be depressed too. :P Anyways, I'm still too early in the book to tell, off to more reading/movie watching!!! :D
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