Director: Dave McCary
Writer: Kevin Costello, Kyle Mooney (Screenplay)
Starring: Kyle Mooney, Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Matt Walsh, Micheala Watkins, Jane Adams
Plot: Brigsby Bear Adventures is a children’s TV show produced for an audience of one: James. When the show abruptly ends, James’s life changes forever, and he sets out to finish the story himself.
Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Delightful Charming
Story: Brigsby Bear starts as we meet James (Mooney) a young man living in an underground bunker with his parents Ted (Hamill) & April (Adams), he is learning advance maths with his only entertainment coming from a children’s show Brigsby Bear.
This world comes crashing down when the police invade the compound rescuing James who doesn’t even know the truth about his life, Detective Vogel (Kinnear) had been leading the investigation, but he must let James’s real parents Greg (Walsh) & Louise (Watkins) guide him in the real world. In the real world Brigsby Bear doesn’t exist though, making James the only person to have ever seen the show.
James decides to try and continue the story of Brigsby Bear by introducing him to the world as he searches for his place in the world that he has never experienced before.
Thoughts on Brigsby Bear
Characters – James was raised in an underground bunker away from the world with only one show to keep him occupied. James learns the world for the first time as a young adult, he only wants to continue the show which gains a cult following on the internet, learning to be part of the world is the hardest part for James. Greg and Louise are the parents that spent 25-years looking for James and must adapt to the fact he has only known one life growing up. Ted is the man that kept James in the bunker, he and his wife kidnapped a baby of James raising him for themselves. Emily is the doctor that is trying to help James through his problems, she tries to push him to escape his illusion of that world. Detective Vogel is the lead investigator on the case and is open to accepting the problems in James’ views of the world.
Performances – Kyle Mooney is fantastic in this leading role, he has the innocence about his character with the idea of not knowing where he should be in the world too. Greg Kinnear is good as the detective with a heart and no backstory too. The rest of the cast are good as they never take the spotlight of Mooney’s performance.
Story – The story follows one young man thrown into the world after years of being kept captive by a couple learning everything he did know was in fact fake. The only way James can continue in this new world would be to continue the Brigsby story because he simply isn’t prepared for what the world has to offer. This shows how people can focus on one thing in life to make sure they can get through times of need and just how important the creative process is.
Comedy – The comedy in this movie is charming and entertaining throughout working with the dramatic side of the story.
Settings – The film doesn’t have any iconic settings but the places we find the story unfolding are hugely entertaining and important to James learning the world.
Scene of the Movie – The Movie.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The help James gets seems almost non-existent.
Final Thoughts – This is a delightfully charming movie that entertains throughout. We have a story that does keep us happy throughout.
Overall: Must watch delight.
Rating
