The Skeleton Twins

Released:  September 12^th, 2014

Rated:  R

Distributor:  Roadside Attractions

Starring:  Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell

Directed by:  Craig Johnson

Written by:  Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman

Personal Bias Alert:  not a big Sundance fan, not very familiar with Hader/Wiig

5.5 of 10

            Don’t be confused by the big-name leads and the glossy finish; The Skeleton Twins is a festival movie through and through.  Glancing through the credits, it’s hard not to notice how much this film is propped up by the mumblecore/indie powerhouse of the Duplass brothers.  Financed by their production company, produced by a Jeff, Who Lives at Home and Safety Not Guaranteed vet, and co-written/directed by a guy who cast Mark Duplass as the lead in his only other film, the network of people involved all seem to be offshoots of the brothers.  Granted, it probably didn’t hurt that the cowriter worked on the Black Swan script, but even he’s a friend of the director.  The whole thing just smells like a film that was lifted off the ground by a bunch of friends, some of which happen to be successful enough to attract some good leads and a decent budget.  However, that wasn’t enough to take them far from the pathos-laden dramedies that populate the Sundance and SWSW market they cut their teeth on.

            Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are the big stars, who’s highly successful days on SNL springboarded their movie careers.  Here, they go against type to play depressed twins so in synch with each other that they attempt suicide at almost the same time.  Despite the fact that they’ve lived thousands of miles apart and haven’t spoken in ten years, it’s clear that they’re the only ones who can rescue each other.  Hader and Wiig, who have worked together for years, translate that history well into their characters’ relationship.  They seem just as comfortable having a serious discussion as they are cracking jokes, and even more at ease doing both at the same time, giving their characters a feeling of depth that’s missing from the rest of the film.

            That last statement might seem odd given that Hader and Wiig are known for goofball comedies while the writers have come up in the character-driven indie world, but that’s precisely how The Skeleton Twins turned out.  The story just felt too safe, perhaps not in the most traditional sense, but in that it adheres closely to the festival dramedy formula.  Comparisons to another Sundance hit, Little Miss Sunshine, are almost too easy; both open with an attempted suicide by a gay man who is then taken in by his sister and her family of odd ducks.  There’s comedy in their oddness and in the suffering that lingers throughout each piece as the families unravel and form anew.  There’s also winding narratives pieces that takes their characters all over the emotional map and to the inevitable redemptive ending, because Sundance loves that stuff.  The problem is that The Skeleton Twins lacks the energy and the focus of Little Miss Sunshine and other more successful films like it.  Instead of having a tangible endpoint in mind, the siblings literally wander around their hometown for an hour and a half with no real goals or even a set end for the brother’s visit.  What’s remarkable, when you take a step back, is how little actually happened.  It’s just some solid character beats in the midst of a flat, empty story that feels stretched out to fill its brief runtime.

            These kinds of plot-light movies can be held up by interesting characters, but despite Hader and Wiig’s best efforts, and they are pretty good efforts, it’s just not there on the page.  Simply put, both characters are dull, spending most of their time dealing with problems that seem tired and trite.  To make matters worse, there’s moments when they reference events from their past that seem much more interesting than anything that actually happens in the film.  These moments are sparks, perking up interest and giving Hader and Wiig something to sink their teeth into.  But alas, they are too few and come along too late in the game to save the film’s dreary plod.

            If Sundance movies are your thing, if you like your comedy dripping with sadness and mommy issues but still want to feel good in the end, then this is your movie.  Anyone outside of that particular market will still enjoy Hader and Wiig, especially the scenes where they get to play off each other one-on-one, but will likely find the rest of the film a middling bore.

Other Notes:

Ø  Luke Wilson was given a caricature, not a character.

Ø  This film was sponsored by Cuervo.

Ø  Avoid this film if you don’t want the ending of Marley & Me spoiled.