The Skeleton Twins (2014)
Directed by Craig Johnson
People and critics love when "comedy actors" deliver some great work in the dramatic field, but this "formula" seemed to not be enough for Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader to get the recognition they deserved for their amazing performances in The Skeleton Twins.
The thing is: The Skeleton Twins is a cinematic gem thanks to Wiig and Hader's knockout performances. Never these two actors were at this TOP of their games: Hader's Milo and Wiig's Maggie are extremely complex roles and the actors nail it. Maybe their chemistry is because of "some work" together back in their Saturday Night Live days and if that's the reason, then thank God they worked together before. One might point the screenplay as the movie's greatest achievement since it is one of those rare scripts that really exudes some caring love about its two main characters - but I say it's the fluid dynamic between the screenwritting and the acting that elevates The Skeleton Twins above the standard comedy-drama. Hader is dynamite and he plays gay&queer beautifully - but you'll never feel a bit of overacting, since Hader's performance as Milo feels as something honest and authentic (a tricky role that could be played as a charicature). As for Wiig, she doesn't surprise as much as Hader, but her Maggie feels more layered and she delivers her best performance yet (the script made her work easier than Hader's).
Maybe the best compliment I could write about Craig Johnson's direction is that you don't feel the direction - he knows he has a great script and the best acting duo it was possible to cast to play the Dean twins - so he just handles the movie to them. Still, Johnson does make an impression in one particular scene: Milo and Maggie's playback rendition of "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"... It's such a sensitive and uplifting scene and we should all thank Johnson for such a cinematic moment to watch in order to get out of a bad mood!
The Skeleton Twins is one of the most honest movies about brotherly love...! And one of the most underrated movies of 2014 also.
AWARD RECOGNITION ANALYSIS:
- The critics raved the movie back then. It competed for the Jury Grand Prize - Dramatic of Sundance Film Festival and it took home the Waldo Salt Screenwritting Award for Best Screenplay (a Sundance Film Fest prize). Kristen Wiig was able to land a Critics' Choice Award nomination (for Best Actress in a Comedy Movie) and Bill Hader was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actor... but The Skeleton Twins didn't get the love and recognition it deserved! One of the most overlooked movies of 2014, for sure.
- The Skeleton Twins' Oscar hopes would rely on Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Leading Role, respectively... Still, 2014's Best Actor was a too crowded race and Hader would have a hard time beating Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Keaton (Birdman), Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Carell (Foxcatcher) or Cooper (American Sniper) in case producers were able to promote some Oscar talk for him. 2014's Best Actress race was a different story: only Moore (Still Alice), Pike (Gone Girl) and Witherspoon (Wild) seemed solid enough to secure a nomination, so I believe there would be some chances for Wiig to nab her first Oscar nomination. The thing is...
- The Skeleton Twins failed to land its lead the much needed Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical! Comedies that get GG nods struggle with the AMPAS love, but comedies that got completely ignored by the HFPA hardly get any recognition from the Academy.
- After HFPA's snub the other playfields that could garn the movie some buzz were the guild awards: but no guild payed any attention to this one.
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