What happens to Imaginary Friends, (IFs) when their kids grow up? That’s the overarching premise of the new film written and directed by John Krasinski and starring Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carrell. As a second outing from the Office alum, this movie is beautiful, heart wrenching, and newcomer Cailey Fleming carries her role in the film with incredible grace and beauty.
Many years ago a friend and I had a long conversation about what it’s like inside the mind of a creative. I compared my mind to an amusement park and depending on the day, you could end up in the water park, on the roller coaster, or even in the haunted house. This film is a tiny glimpse into the mind of John Krasinski and at moments, it’s nothing less than pure, glorious magic. In truth, I think that if anyone ever wanted to revive Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, John Krasinski should be the first stop. This film shows that he can tell a story to any age audience and keep them engaged. There is no doubt he has the magic touch.
I only wish he’d employed more of that magic with this film. Oh don’t get me wrong. It’s a good movie. But I didn’t find it a great movie. Or an epic movie. And when the cast is stacked with powerhouse talent like Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carrell, George Clooney, and Jon Stewart, you expect more than good.
Let me get one thing straight before I dive into the rest of the review. I enjoyed this movie. I was moved to tears in a few places. I laughed. And I was amazed at the cinematography. There was magic and joy and wonder throughout this movie. (Note: There’s also a beautiful cut scene at the end of the credits, so stick around if you want to see that.) I wanted to love this movie. And there were moments that I really did. During one exceptional scene that takes place in an unusual retirement home, I thought that this was the beginning of the roller coaster ride that is John Krasinski’s creative mind. I was ready for twists and spins and upside down moments but instead it felt a little like I’d mistakenly gotten onto the kiddie version of the ride. Oh there were dips and spins, but they were all perfectly controlled and stayed firmly on the rails.
From a story perspective, it felt like there must be a fuller, richer, and deeper copy of the script somewhere but it felt like maybe pages or scenes were dropped from the script/film in order to make it a better fit for a kid’s movie – at 90 or so pages. If it had been longer, I feel like we would have gotten more emotional beats that would have made it a more profound experience for the audience. Rather than a lighthearted fun comedy with heartfelt moments, it leaned more toward being a family drama with some light moments sprinkled throughout. Despite Carrell and Reynolds being involved, there wasn’t as much comedy as one might hope.
When it ended, I left feeling like I hadn’t gotten to see all that it could be. It was a brilliant concept but I would have liked to see more dramatic growth and deeper relationships between the characters. And rather than engaging the audience directly and making them feel like they were part of the magic, it felt more like we were watching it play out through a keyhole with limited view.
As much as I feel that some films draw audiences into a highly engaged shared experience, IF left me feeling like I got to watch the magic happen, but I wasn’t actually a part of it.
Final Note: If you are looking for a fun summer romp of a movie, I recommend you check out The Fall Guy. Though it’s not specifically a kid film, it’s main reason for a PG-13 rating is action violence (think Avengers type action) and some suggestive language.
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