Movie Review - Brad's Status

Brad’s Status **½ (out of 5) (R) Spending 100 minutes inside the head of a Ben Stiller character seems familiarly uncomfortable. Once again, he stars as a guy who feels a little bit off-key. Though ostensibly doing well with a loving wife, satisfying job, and son (Austin Abrams) preparing to choose a university, he’s nagged by doubts and regrets - especially envy over the relative wealth, fame and success his closest pals from those halcyon college years at Amherst have achieved. He’s been so preoccupied with diminishing his own lack of accomplishment that he failed to notice how accomplished his son had become, including a strong shot at admission to HARVARD.

So as father and son fly to Boston to visit schools, including That One and Ben’s alma mater, we’re getting all Ben’s thoughts in voice-over, plus flashbacks to the events that have bummed him out to this extent. Stiller has played this sort of angst-ridden character before, searching for answers to the Big Questions about himself or life, in general. Those roles never called for Woody-Allen’s over-the-top degree of comedic neuroses, but gave him footing with the likes of Albert Brooks on relatable levels of self-doubt and insecurity.

Mike White wrote and directed the tale, giving himself a small part in the process. As a writer, he’s had success with several broad comedies for Jack Black, and a respectable venture into more thoughtful fare in last year’s dramedy Beatriz at Dinner. As director, White elicits solid performances from a youthful cast, and conveys the look and feel of Boston, Cambridge and the surrounding areas well enough to make viewers feel surrounded by old ivy, fine minds and hallowed traditions.

While the two are exploring Abrams’ academic options, Stiller’s past overlaps with their present and his son’s future in a number of ways, both positive and negative. There’s mild humor throughout, but the degree of emotional churning seems out of proportion to the payoff. Without going into details, after spending that much time getting to know the whys and wherefores of Stiller’s character, the ending seemed almost flat.

In cinematic terms, the premise is about as old as the buildings they visit. Everyone else seems happier and more successful, so where did I go wrong? How can I be satisfied with myself, when peers who were no better have done so much better? The trap is comparing how you feel on the inside to how others look on the outside. A wise person noted that the definition of a “normal person” is someone you don’t know very well. That’s why movies about dysfunctional families fill so many shelves - the family you know seems weirder than the ones you don’t. After enough of these offerings, one expects more useful insights, aspects of growth, acceptance, etc. for the characters and the ticket-buyers who shared their pains. (9/22/17)