Funny Bones (1995)

Fabulous But Not Funny

One of the problems with categorizing movies is the expectation invariably set-up by the choice of category. I rented this on a VHS tape years ago, out of the comedy section. This is NOT a comedy - it's a very serious film about funny people. It's wonderful and well-worth watching, but if you expect it to be 'funny' you'll probably be disappointed.

This is not to say that there aren't many brilliant comedic routines in the film (Lee Evans is fabulous--), but the storyline itself is serious. I wholeheartedly recommend this film to anyone who likes physical comedy and enjoys movies that grapple with life and relationships and doesn't mind a little shadow on the smiling face. April 1, 2008

Strong start but weak follow through

After blowing his big Vegas debut, an aspiring comic (Oliver Platt) returns to the English seaside carnival town where he grew up to find a new act from among the performers who live there. Among the quirky characters he encounters is a maladjusted young man (Lee Evans) who just might be some kind of comic genius. This film starts well (with a kind of "Local Hero" vibe to it) and has a fantastic cast, but the various subplots become awkward and don't mesh well. It's fun to see Jerry Lewis doing a dramatic turn. December 17, 2007

Funny Bones

Very quick shipment of item as described. It is a gift so I have not seen the movie yet but am sure it is perfect. September 12, 2007

Give This One a Second Chance ----

I went to see Funny Bones when it first came out at the art theatre in Austin TX. I thought there were several good comedic bits but was underwhelmed by the film as a whole. Yet embedded in this movie are strange bits that linger in the fringes of the mind - not quite brilliant, but very intriguing. Among these (and occurring within the first 20 minutes of the movie) are the drive through the Blackpool "characters", the fun house ride where patrons scream loudest at the living mannequins, the comedic horror of the opening smuggling boat scene, and the edginess surrounding Oliver Platt in his dressing room before his Las Vegas show. These scenes stick with you after the movie ends, continuing to haunt you until you see the movie a second time and begin to make some sense of the convoluted plot.

And this movie is definitely worth a second viewing - for nothing else if not the comedic genius of Lee Evans, who is so adept at physical comedy throughout. The plot of this movie explores the twinned natures of tragedy and comedy through half brothers (Evans and Platt) who are both pursuing "funny bones". The plot has multiple lines, involving drug smuggling, redemption, finding one's place, and uncovering the nature of what is funny, that come together in the grand finale under the big top with the sway pole, Evans and Platt.

So give this one a second viewing - just see this movie as a combination of David Lynch and the Marx Brothers - to absorb the cosummate intricacy of FUNNY BONES. August 10, 2007

comedic gem

There are at least three--no, several more--comic skits in this quiet little gem that are priceless, especially a radio mime bit by Lee Evans that should be in some comedy hall of fame. It's funny and intelligent and screwy and charming and a credit to everyone who participated.

February 16, 2007

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