November 24, 2010 -- Normally, when you have a story in which three of the main characters suffer from depression and are suicidal, you would not expect the movie to be particularly funny or uplifting. This is an exception. The characters are interesting and compelling. The story has humor and it is even a little bit uplifting in places. This may not be a realistic story, but as a film it is an unexpected treat.

The main character is a 16-year-old boy named Craig (played by Keir Gilchrist). He suffers from anxiety, depression and feelings of inadequacy. He is also suicidal. On his way to jump off a bridge, he stops by an emergency room. When the attending physician seems ready to brush him off, Craig tells him this is very serious. Craig finds himself committed to the psychiatric ward of the hospital with the other nut jobs. He tries to get out, then realizes this just might be the place he needs to be right now in his life. The story takes place during a week long stay in the ward.

One of the patients who befriends him is Bob (Zach Galifianakis of “Dinner for Schmucks”), who seems normal enough at first, but it turns out he has problems too, as does an attractive young patient on the ward, Noelle (Emma Roberts of “Hotel for Dogs”). Craig is attracted to Noelle. He gets into trouble when his friend Nia (Zoë Kravitz of “Assassination of a High School President”) comes to visit when he is supposed to be meeting Noelle. He has had a crush on Nia for years, but she is dating his best friend, Aaron (Thomas Mann).

He meets with Dr. Eden Minerva (Viola Davis of “Eat, Pray Love”), a psychiatrist for counseling sessions and begins making progress. He also gets something out of the drawing and music sessions in the ward. One of these becomes a spectacular rendition of “Under Pressure.” It looks like it was lifted from an episode of “Glee.” Anyway, it turns out Craig is a sweet kid who has just put way too much pressure on himself. He learns to lighten up a little bit and to enjoy life. At the end, he addresses the audience saying he knows a week in the psychiatric ward hasn't solved his problems, but it is a good first step. Bob and Noelle also make progress during the movie. They are still people with problems, but they are moving ahead and doing the best they can, like the rest of us. Best of all, nobody commits suicide. Yay!

I really enjoyed the musical number in the film, even though it is, in actuality, a step below karaoke. Zach Galifianakis, who has been in just about every silly, raunchy comedy lately, shows some versatility in this fine performance. I think I saw Keir Gilchrist in a TV series called “ReGenesis,” along with Ellen Page before she became a big star. It looks like he's got a future in show business if he wants it. Emma Roberts does a nice job in this movie, too, along with Jeremy Davies, who plays Smitty, an orderly. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2010 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at .