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Depressed and stressed from the many pressures bearing down on him, Craig (Keir Gilchrist), a seemingly typical high school student finally reaches his breaking point. At the end of his rope and feeling suicidal, a cry for help lands him in the psych ward of a New York hospital. Once admitted Craig begins to realize the gravity of his decision and actions; but, left with no alternative he’s forced to do the self work and open himself to counseling. Over the course of five days, the friends and acquaintances Craig makes in the system leaves him with a unique outlook on life, but is it enough to get his life back on track?
Also starring funnyman Zach Galifianakis in a much more subdued role this particularly indie feeling film makes for a truly bittersweet watch. With honest dialogue, sometimes rough edges, and just the right balance of levity and seriousness the characters all feel nicely developed even though we’re never given their full stories. Clever introspective flashbacks and dream sequences also work well to drive the inner dialogue and narrative. And, while the film works as a coming of age story, it also serves nicely as a romantic comedy in the most unusual of places. Quirky and full of heart, this unlikely contender for your dollar should not go overlooked, perhaps a date movie? It’s Kind of A Funny Story is rated PG-13.

30 somethings Holly (Katherine Heigl) and Eric (Josh Duhamel) are the best friends to Peter and Alison (Hayes MacArthur and Christina Hendricks); but, despite the commonality the two actually hate each other. This might not be much of an issue, but, when Peter and Alison die in a tragic car accident, Holly and Eric are named the foster parents of the couple’s infant daughter. Now with what feels like and insurmountable task can the two settle their differences and work together, or will their own personal desires and dreams get in the way, and wait, is that a spark of romance? So here it is, another romantic comedy that pretty much telegraphs every punch of the plot at every turn– a common malady of almost every film of the genre; but wait, let me not be too harsh too fast. Despite its predictability I can honestly say the two leads, Heigl and Duhamel, seemed to compliment each other nicely on screen, comedic timing and chemistry felt natural, I even found myself chuckling out loud on a few occasions. This however is where the film’s praise runs out, yeah sure the overall production value felt fine, but it’s still hard for me to let go of the fact that there’s next to nothing new about the plot. I suppose Hollywood knows this and probably doesn’t care since they continue to green light projects like this over and over, which means there must be a market for this sort of thing out there. So, I guess know thy audience? If you’re into mildly comedic, pulp romance flicks, or you’re trying to show your “sensitive side” to a potential girlfriend, this is a matinee, otherwise….wait for it on the lifetime channel. Life as We Know It is rated PG-13.