Brigsby Bear
Brigsby Bear is so, so indie it almost hurts. Also, so hard to describe without giving you more info than you need going in, and as we went in blind, we loved the twists. SNL’s Kyle Mooney’s writing debut is kind of a comedy, kind of a coming of age story, and altogether a rather sweet take on a weird, dark situation.
Mooney is James, living in a literal desert bunker with odd but loving parents who indulge his way past age-appropriate obsession with a cheesy 80s-looking kid’s show called “Brigsby Bear”.
Friendless and with no other distractions, James not only enjoys and catalogues the program on VHS, he runs a fan forum, and discusses the scientific and algebraic Easter Eggs in “Brigsby” over dinner with his cheerful dad, played by Mark Hamill.
When things change, and oh, they do, what will happen to this damaged misfit? Mooney creates a world where we care what happens to James and his obsession. Former SNL writer Dave McCary directs the cast in a naturalistic way that meshes with the odd subject matter. The resolution might be a bit too neat, but this is a smart, bittersweet movie you haven’t seen the likes of before.
