Skeleton Twins (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Knowing the actors involved, I went into 'The Skeleton Twins' (directed & co-written by Craig Johnson) expecting a quirky comedy. For better or worse, I also expected to really like it. Much to my surprise, this film is actually a nuanced, sobering tale of 2 estranged siblings trying to sort out their messed-up lives -- and I really liked it, too. Maggie (Kristen Wiig) & her gay brother Milo (Bill Hader) are fraternal twins, the former still in their upstate NY hometown with husband, Lance (Luke Wilson), & the latter is in California, struggling to make it as an actor. As the film opens, we see that Milo is submerging in his bathtub after having slits his wrists. Unbeknownst to him, Maggie, a dental hygienist with whom has hasn't been in contact for 10 yrs., is contemplating a similar fate on the other side of the country. But she's stopped by a phone call informing her that Milo has been hospitalized, alive but clearly unwell.
Maggie heads out there, surprising a brother, & looking to bring him back home with her to recuperate. Of course, Maggie has her own problems. She's sleeping with her SCUBA instructor & secretly taking birth control pills, even though Lance thinks they've been trying to get pregnant. As Maggie continues to rail against the quaint married life that she doesn't seem to want, Milo reunites with someone important from his past, his high school English teacher, Rich Levine (Ty Burrell). During the day, Milo tries to assist Lance at his "outdoorsy" job and, at home, he works to mend fences with his sister that were broken long ago. But on their journey of recollection & re-connection, life - with all it's ups, downs, lefts, & rights - gets in the way.
Really, 'The Skeleton Twins' is about two broken people trying to avoid their current states of existence. For them, life is a disappointment. With an unsupportive mom (Joanna Gleason) & dead dad (again, suicide), they keep drifting towards an irreparable depression. Wiig & Hader have some of the most believable sister-brother chemistry that I've seen in a film -- doesn't hurt that they've worked together for yrs. on SNL. In any case, we totally believe that they are siblings because of the truth in their performances. Siblings have a connection that is hard to define (shared histories, past secrets, inside jokes), and both of these actors just nail it.
Hader brings a certain charm to Milo, but he also shows the darkness buried just below the surface. Hader makes Milo a complete character: witty, maddening, vulnerable, dangerous, yet genuine in every scene. Hader also delivers an amazing speech at the end about Milo's concern that he peaked in high school & that things may not get better for him. As for Kristen Wiig, she has to go to some uncomfortable places (emotionally), as well. I've never seen her so dramatically sure, but then, I've always thought that comedians (who study the human race like no other) can transition from humor to drama better than most. My heart broke for her character, as well as Hader's. As acted, these are clearly smart characters who were once vibrant, but now downtrodden. Also good is Luke Wilson, whose puppy dog-like demeanor is perfectly suited for Lance. Whether or not he belongs with Maggie, whether or not they stay together, we like him and feel for him.
Now, while 'The Skeleton Twins' is likely to summon tears, and while plenty are shed by our characters, the movie is not lacking for some hysterical moments. Wiig & Hader have perfect comic timing, & they play off each other extremely well. This is never better evidenced than in the highly publicized scene in which Hader turns on the radio and encourages a dejected Wiig to join with him in lip-synching to Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". Simply put, it's one of those grin-planted-across-your-face, giddy-beyond-belief, magical movie moments that will likely stay in your memory for a long time.
Now, 'The Skeleton Twins' is a tad familiar (there's a lot of You Can Count On Me & The Savages in there). There are a few scenes here & there which don't tonally fit with the rest of the proceedings. And the resolution, while satisfactory enough, felt clipped. But overall, I fell pretty hard for this. Writers Johnson & Mark Heyman (Black Swan) construct a screenplay that doesn't have to spell-out backstory to enable us to figure out these characters' tragic pasts. The humor in the script is great; there's no shortage of wit or fun absurdity. The sadness in the script is palpable. The dialogue cuts like a knife. Nothing hurts more than the truth, and these siblings can really hit below the belt. There are many tangible & intangible reasons to love this movie. It's an insightful, intuitive drama that shows how amazing, yet chaotic sibling relationships can be. I won't soon forget the pain, joy, heartache, & catharticism exhibited in 'The Skeleton Twins'.
Maggie heads out there, surprising a brother, & looking to bring him back home with her to recuperate. Of course, Maggie has her own problems. She's sleeping with her SCUBA instructor & secretly taking birth control pills, even though Lance thinks they've been trying to get pregnant. As Maggie continues to rail against the quaint married life that she doesn't seem to want, Milo reunites with someone important from his past, his high school English teacher, Rich Levine (Ty Burrell). During the day, Milo tries to assist Lance at his "outdoorsy" job and, at home, he works to mend fences with his sister that were broken long ago. But on their journey of recollection & re-connection, life - with all it's ups, downs, lefts, & rights - gets in the way.
Really, 'The Skeleton Twins' is about two broken people trying to avoid their current states of existence. For them, life is a disappointment. With an unsupportive mom (Joanna Gleason) & dead dad (again, suicide), they keep drifting towards an irreparable depression. Wiig & Hader have some of the most believable sister-brother chemistry that I've seen in a film -- doesn't hurt that they've worked together for yrs. on SNL. In any case, we totally believe that they are siblings because of the truth in their performances. Siblings have a connection that is hard to define (shared histories, past secrets, inside jokes), and both of these actors just nail it.
Hader brings a certain charm to Milo, but he also shows the darkness buried just below the surface. Hader makes Milo a complete character: witty, maddening, vulnerable, dangerous, yet genuine in every scene. Hader also delivers an amazing speech at the end about Milo's concern that he peaked in high school & that things may not get better for him. As for Kristen Wiig, she has to go to some uncomfortable places (emotionally), as well. I've never seen her so dramatically sure, but then, I've always thought that comedians (who study the human race like no other) can transition from humor to drama better than most. My heart broke for her character, as well as Hader's. As acted, these are clearly smart characters who were once vibrant, but now downtrodden. Also good is Luke Wilson, whose puppy dog-like demeanor is perfectly suited for Lance. Whether or not he belongs with Maggie, whether or not they stay together, we like him and feel for him.
Now, while 'The Skeleton Twins' is likely to summon tears, and while plenty are shed by our characters, the movie is not lacking for some hysterical moments. Wiig & Hader have perfect comic timing, & they play off each other extremely well. This is never better evidenced than in the highly publicized scene in which Hader turns on the radio and encourages a dejected Wiig to join with him in lip-synching to Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now". Simply put, it's one of those grin-planted-across-your-face, giddy-beyond-belief, magical movie moments that will likely stay in your memory for a long time.
Now, 'The Skeleton Twins' is a tad familiar (there's a lot of You Can Count On Me & The Savages in there). There are a few scenes here & there which don't tonally fit with the rest of the proceedings. And the resolution, while satisfactory enough, felt clipped. But overall, I fell pretty hard for this. Writers Johnson & Mark Heyman (Black Swan) construct a screenplay that doesn't have to spell-out backstory to enable us to figure out these characters' tragic pasts. The humor in the script is great; there's no shortage of wit or fun absurdity. The sadness in the script is palpable. The dialogue cuts like a knife. Nothing hurts more than the truth, and these siblings can really hit below the belt. There are many tangible & intangible reasons to love this movie. It's an insightful, intuitive drama that shows how amazing, yet chaotic sibling relationships can be. I won't soon forget the pain, joy, heartache, & catharticism exhibited in 'The Skeleton Twins'.