nothing’s gonna stop them now

During my Amazing Mom’s much-too-short life she managed to find the funny during the darkest of times, so unsurprisingly I raced out to see THE SKELETON TWINS opening weekend after learning that it’s about family members (Maggie and Milo) who use humor to cope.

It certainly didn’t hurt that it was a Sundance Best Screenplay winner — and then when I read that that Writer/Director Craig Johnson and stars Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader would be doing Q&As after some of the weekend screenings, the deal was sealed. Win/Win for me as I managed to score a ticket (to what would be a sold-out performance) at the Landmark in West L.A. where Johnson and Hader were planning to appear.  Big YAY!

SMART COMEDY

To me Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader are the “best of” modern-day SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. I’m devastated that now they only guest on the show.  But it’s awesome seeing them on the big screen where they shine even brighter. In THE SKELETON TWINS they take talent to a whole new level tackling layered, complex roles and dramatic situations (like suicide, career failures and adultery) with creativity and expertise.

People say that comedy actors are really smart (Lisa Kudrow/Vassar, Jenny Slate/Columbia, Sasha Baron Cohen/Cambridge) because their brains are so creatively quick. Watch any Robin Williams interview to see how his train-of-thought is light-years ahead of the rest of us. It’s not a skill one can acquire, COMEDY is part of the DNA for the lucky ones.  Lemme tell you after seeing Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig seamlessly dance back-and-forth from drama to dramedy — hitting every mark in every frame — I’m guessing that both of them are off-the-charts smart!

Laughing Away Hurts —

In SKELETON TWINS I loved how Maggie and Milo (two sides of the same coin) make each other laugh after the many mess-ups. They manage to find the funny, which is what sometimes happens to me when I volunteer at The ER, and by doing so, not only do they help each each other — they help themselves (which is also what happens to me when I volunteer in the ER!)  Finding the funny, even when it hurts not only bonds Maggie and Milo, it helps them grow and move on.

he’s a scream!

I loved tagging along on Maggie and Milo’s journey. I loved that they made me think afterwards about how to face flaws, failures and challenges. THE SKELETON TWINS is about forgiving oneself and forgiving others while finding the laughs along the way. The world can definitely use some of that right now – don’t you think?

smart + funny Q&A