Runtime: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Rating: R
Director: Craig Johnson
Quick Impressions:
I remember (not that long ago) when Saturday Night Live was basically The Kristen Wiig & Bill Hader Show, and that was fine with me. Both Wiig and Hader have a rare spark, an uncanny talent for sketch comedy. Yes, by the end, they were both (insanely) overused on SNL, but it’s easy to see why. They’re funny. They’re always funny.
Even in a poorly conceived sketch, both Hader and Wiig could still find a way to make the audience laugh. No matter how stupid or subpar the material, either of these two could elevate it and carry the sketch and leave the audience laughing when they were there. (Too bad they weren’t there last week.)
I first loved Wiig as Judy Grimes (the “just kidding” lady), and I’m a big fan of Hader as James Carville and the creepy Dateline guy, though if a genie granted me the power to wish just one SNL character to life, obviously I would have to choose Stefon! In fact, one day when I get incredibly rich (no doubt through the efforts of the same genie), I plan to hire Bill Hader to appear as Stefon at all my future birthday / dinner parties. (I hope that genie thing pans out because I’m going to need a lot of money. Hader might get an Oscar nomination, and then I’ll never be able to afford him.)
Despite its cast of comedians—stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, co-stars Ty Burrell and Luke Wilson—The Skeleton Twins is actually a drama with some fairly dark and intense themes. Still there are a lot of laughs (certainly far more than in last week’s season premiere of Saturday Night Live).
Since I’ve always enjoyed the work of Hader and Wiig, I was naturally curious to see them together in a drama. And now that I’ve seen The Skeleton Twins I’m hoping as hard as I can that Bill Hader actually pulls off some kind of dark horse Oscar nomination. (That seems almost impossible since he established himself as a sketch comedian, and he’s in a leading role here. If they could somehow spin his role as supporting, perhaps he’d have more of a chance.) Still this is an excellent performance by Bill Hader in a part that seems perfect to showcase his talents. Life won’t end for Hader or me if he doesn’t get a Best Actor nomination for this. (I have to remind myself that Tom Hanks missed a nomination for that fine performance in Captain Phillips last year.) But I can’t help hoping that this role gets him recognition as a serious actor, at least.
The Good:
The Skeleton Twins is the most perfect vehicle I can imagine to introduce the world to the talents of Bill Hader as a dramatic actor. The talented Kristen Wiig gives a strong performance, too, but entire film feels like one big (and uncannily ideal) showcase for Hader.
He gives a brilliant performance as Milo, and the role is perfect for him because his character uses comedy as a last line of defense against the ravages of despair. When he’s in a good mood, Milo can be kind of funny, but when he’s just on the brink of killing himself, suddenly he’s downright hilarious. His manic energy and clownish behavior clearly mask the dark thoughts and self-destructive impulses he doesn’t know how to address. Sublimation of suicidal depression into absurd tomfoolery is his method of survival.
The dynamic between Hader and Wiig feels particularly real. Milo is the one who deals with his depression by being so funny, and Maggie is the one who copes with it by being so not amused. He reaches out; she retreats. They’re a comfortable pair. When she withdraws to the point that she can’t stand being alone with herself, she acts out sexually and makes terrible decisions. Similarly, when nobody is there to be won over by his relentless jokes, he attempts to kill himself. The characters are very believable as siblings with the same dysfunctional family background, and Hader and Wiig have natural chemistry that really makes the relationship work on screen.
Of the two protagonists, I identified more easily with Milo. For me, his character’s problems (and interaction style) were easier to relate to personally, while I found Maggie’s issues and behavior more foreign and impenetrable. I find her character both realistic and sympathetic (and at moments I pity her), but I don’t really get her in the same way that I get Hader’s Milo.
Part of that just has to do with my own personality, but I think part of it is also that Hader gets the showier part, and he does a lot with it. Of course, he has brilliant chemistry with Wiig, but he also pairs particularly well with Luke Wilson. (The scene where they clear away brush, and Milo realizes he should have worn long sleeves is great, as is the later climbing scene.)
To be honest, Wilson’s performance in this film surprised me. I’ve got nothing against Luke Wilson, but I’ve always preferred his brother Owen (especially when it comes to things like comic timing). Luke Wilson is really great in this supporting role, though. His character (though initially a bit odd) gradually establishes himself as a bafflingly likeable and wonderfully genuine guy. (He’s such a nice guy, actually, that I kept wondering if there would be some late plot twist to reveal that he has some kind of secret dark side.) Lance has his quirks for sure, but he puts up with an awful lot, and he never seems to expect anything in return (except unfortunately, the love and loyalty of his wife).
Ty Burrell gives a great supporting performance, too. I feel like I’m always saying, “I like Ty Burrell on Modern Family, but I didn’t love him in this part.” Well, I loved him in this part. (Finally!) I think Rich is a fascinating character. Seen from Milo’s point of view, he seems increasingly despicable, and yet he’s also weirdly sympathetic. I like the uncomfortable ambiguity of Rich. The movie could resolve it for us completely but chooses not to. Rich is definitely not a good guy. But he’s not a villain either, and it’s fascinating to watch Milo become increasingly disenchanted with him. Burrell’s quite good in this part, very convincing and low-key.
Also good is Joanna Gleason playing a character I pitied terribly from minute one. As soon as she was introduced, I could think nothing but, “This is a sad, sad, profoundly sad woman who has finally found a way to cope with life, and is so fragile and needy herself that she has nothing at all to give to anyone else.” I felt so sorry for Judy and her children.
Best Scene:
For me, the highlight of the movie was Milo and Maggie’s epic lip synch duet of “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
One of the great strengths of The Skeleton Twins is that it plays to its stars comedic talents (and chemistry together) by allowing Milo and Maggie to break the tension of their overwrought lives with little outbursts of shared silliness.
The first scene like this comes in the dentist’s office. It’s lots of fun (and certainly looks at least partially improvised), but it pales in comparison to the wonderful lip synching power ballad later.
That scene begins in a delightful way because of Hader’s infectious, manic energy. Even without context, his cheesy performance of the song has enough electricity to engage an audience. Even better, the scene works in context because Milo is a character who uses comedic outbursts to cope with his depression.
Best of all, though, is Wiig’s reaction. In a just world, this would be her Oscar clip because sitting there not laughing or reacting while Bill Hader does his zany lip synch takes a lot of talent and control. And then the way she eventually joins in is absolutely brilliant. I can’t imagine anyone doing it better.
Best Scene Visually:
Wiig’s frantic goldfish resuscitation efforts make gripping (not to mention pointed) visual symbolism.
And then there’s the Halloween sequence, not only elegant and appealing visually, but also a thematic focal point and turning point for the siblings who think of themselves as the Skeleton Twins.
Best Action Sequence:
Kristen Wiig’s final scene in the pool really resonated with me because I’ve experienced something similar, though not in a pool. As changing your mind goes, some circumstances are really much more inconvenient and distressing than others.
Most Oscar Worthy Moment, Bill Hader:
I think the entire movie is a showcase for Hader, as I’ve said, and he plays every moment that he has impeccably. As a result, there are many fine Oscar worthy moments.
Probably his most pointedly Oscary scene comes when he delivers a long monologue about peaking in high school. What’s nice here is that he speaks plainly and directly to his sister (without the security blanket of comedy) for probably the first time in the film.
Most Oscar Worthy Moment, Kristen Wiig:
Kristen Wiig already has one (thoroughly deserved) Oscar nomination for writing Bridesmaids, and while she gives a fine performance here, I don’t think it’s ultimately showy or impressive enough to push other actresses out of the category. Most of the time, she’s playing the straight man to Bill Hader. And keeping a straight face when he’s standing there cracking jokes is extremely difficult.
For me, all of Wiig’s best work in this film comes in moments of (sometimes understated) reaction. (That’s one reason why I don’t think she’ll get a nomination. Usually it’s the actors provoking the reactions who get nominated for Oscars.)
Probably my favorite Wiig-based scene comes when she sits in a diner reacting to the ravings of an old classmate (and trying to cope with all the personal drama she’s keeping bottled up inside).
Wiig has a particular talent for conveying great mental anguish in a sympathetic and relatable way, and then somehow making it funny. Not too many people can pull that off.
The Negatives:
I don’t’ believe for one second that these two have been separated for ten years.
I know that when people are extremely close at a formative age, they can fall back into an old, familiar dynamic fairly quickly even after a long estrangement, but still. Maggie and Milo don’t seem estranged at all. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that they periodically mention their ten-year estrangement, I would have forgotten all about it.
I think a ten year estrangement would make more sense if these characters were supposed to be 25. (Maybe they are, but the actors are more in the neighborhood of 35, and that’s if we go by Bill Hader.) As it is, I can’t quite figure out what happened.
I know something dramatic happened to drive a wedge between them when they were fifteen or sixteen, but then what? They got over it and hung out for ten more years and then abruptly decided to stop seeing each other?
Maybe it’s because Hader and Wiig have such fabulous, easy, natural chemistry. They seem so comfortable on screen together. I just kept forgetting that they had ever been apart. And then one of them would mention it, and I’d remember, and that would strike a false note to me.
I also would have liked a bit more closure at the end of Maggie’s storyline. What exactly happened with Lance in the end? (I mean, I get the idea, but I’m curious about where things go from there.) Of course, I can appreciate the fact that this is a love story about two estranged siblings reunited. The movie never promises more. I just can’t help wondering.
Overall:
The Skeleton Twins is a well-acted drama about adult siblings with a shared dysfunctional past trying to survive their still dysfunctional present. Though suicide is perpetually on the horizon for both protagonists, The Skeleton Twins also finds a way to make the audience laugh fairly often because humor is not only for the emotionally stable, and sad people very frequently make the best clowns.
Both Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader give strong, engaging lead performances, and I really hope Hader somehow miraculously pulls off a nomination for Best Actor.
This movie is short and always engaging, so if you’re looking for a way to spend a pleasant autumn afternoon, you could do a lot worse than buying a ticket to The Skeleton Twins.