Bear -- Necessity

Back when 2017 wrapped up, there was a movie I kept seeing on various critics' lists as one of the best of the year: Brigsby Bear. But it was never in contention for any major awards, wasn't generally buzzed about in social media, and no one I know mentioned seeing it. I filed it away as something I might get to some day. Recently, "some day" came around.

Brigsby Bear is a sweet movie springing from what sounds like a horrific premise. A man named James is rescued from the bunker where he's lived his entire life with his "parents" -- who turn out to have been his abductors. For two decades, they've raised James in isolation from the world, creating the only entertainment he was allowed to see: a low-budget "TV show" of their creation, called Brisgby Bear. When James struggles to assimilate back into the real world, Brigsby Bear becomes the lifeline he clings to. He wants to make a movie to continue the story and show the world that his upbringing was actually full of joy and happiness.

This is a far-out premise that presents a tough needle to thread. You could go super dark and heavy with it, diving into issues of abuse and torment. You could play it for total comedy, as a fish-out-of-water tale about a young man-child fresh out of the bubble. Brisgby Bear charts its own middle course, walking a surprisingly touching and sentimental tightrope. There are moments of humor, without undercutting the seriousness of the situation. There's real drama, without the movie being dragged down with heaviness. There's emotion, without the tone ever turning too earnest or saccharine.

You can engage with Brigsby Bear on a purely nostalgic level. Much of the movie captures the feeling of young kids getting together to make their own movie with handmade props. But there are also deeper messages you can find in the movie if you choose to look. For example: a statement that family can help you through your problems even when you can't understand them yourself. Or the notion that people are only guarded and suspicious because they're coached to expect this in others; meet someone you know is coming at you without artifice or agenda, and you'll be free to drop your guard too.

The lead character of James is played by Kyle Mooney (of Saturday Night Live). He gives a great performance, though the cast is really excellent throughout. The more recognizable faces in the ensemble include Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, and Matt Walsh, but there's also great work from Ryan Simpkins as James' sister, and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as his first true friend outside of captivity.

I was entertained and moved by Brigsby Bear. I give it an A-, and a belated slot on my Top 10 List of movies from 2017. I'm glad I made the time for it, and I wish it had been hyped more so that I might have found it sooner.