I was a little disappointed in It’s Kind of a Funny Story, the new film by directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

That’s probably only because my expectations were so high for this little film filled with possibilities.  I just wanted more.  Two previous films by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are little films that rocked my world. This is especially true of their first film, Half Nelson.  A critical part of my scholarly work focuses on the representation of teachers in popular culture so I’ve seen more teacher movies and TV shows than most people can imagine, but I’ve never seen one like Half Nelson, a revisionist teacher movie that breaks new ground.

Similarly, Sugar was one of my favorite movies from a couple of years ago.  It tells the story of a Dominican baseball star who has a chance to play minor league ball in the US.  Let’s just say that he does not have an easy transition.  When it was released, I tried to get everyone I knew to see this movie!

It’s Kind of a Funny Story centers on a depressed teenage boy who checks himself into the psychiatric ward of a hospital.  Now, when I tell you that this movie lacks the edge of Half Nelson and Sugar, that may sound weird, but it’s true.  It’s Kind of a Funny Story is a bit tender, and it’s engaging at times, but it isn’t as thought-provoking as its predecessors.

On the other hand, maybe I just expected too much!