Brigsby Bear is a comedy-drama film that centers on James Pope
(Kyle Mooney), a man who has spent his whole life living in a bunker with his
parents Ted (Mark Hamill) and Alice (Jane Adams) and grew up exclusively watching
Brigsby Bear, an educational science
fantasy children’s TV show. Considering
his situation, it’s understandable that he has become a die-hard fan of the
show – his room packed with every Brigsby
Bear VHS cassette tape, merchandise, and memorabilia. After the abrupt cancellation of the series,
it has become James’ obsession to bring its story to a close. Thus, the main storyline of this movie is
about James setting off to accomplish this by making a movie.
However, the twist is (SPOILERS
in this paragraph; now, this information is actually revealed in the trailer, promo,
and synopsis of this film but it’s really a huge mindblower if you proceed to
watch it without knowing anything else aside from what was presented in the first paragraph) the parents he has grown up with
aren’t actually his parents. Apparently,
he was abducted from his real parents as a baby and has been held captive since
then. But the real shocker is this: Brigsby Bear isn’t a real TV show.
It was actually produced by Ted for James and for James alone! Thus, a major hurdle that James has to face
in pursuing his film project is assimilating into a world that is not aware of Brigsby Bear, the thing he is most
passionate about.
I think everyone like me who grew
up with a pop culture property – whether that is a TV show, film, comic, video game,
book, etc. – and/or has developed fandom for something will totally relate to
this movie.
Indeed, pop culture doesn’t only
deliver entertainment and escapism, but it also can be therapeutic, nurturing, inspiring,
and illuminating. It can help people cope. It can help people grow. It can help people communicate and connect with each other. It has a variety of functions. Moreover, its impression on
someone – the feelings, reflections, and stimulations it rendered at the point of encounter
– can have profound lifelong impact, and the fandom that results from it inevitably
yields happiness, passion, obsession, motivation, and creativity.
These ideas are brilliantly
articulated via a quirky, multi-layered story.
Thus, I tremendously love Brigsby Bear. It’s witty and perfectly charming. It’s enjoyable. It brings the feels. And, in
a way, it celebrates the positive value of pop culture, fandom, and storytelling.
Plus, it delightfully utilizes Mark
Hamill’s fantastic voice acting skills.
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