BRAD’S STATUS – Review

With awards season approaching it’s time to get serious at the multiplex, at least for some actors that may be best known for rowdy raunchy comedies. That may be the case for Ben Stiller who’s playing this flick’s title character. Mind you, there’s still some funny stuff in this story, we’re not in heavy, somber tragedy territory at all. It’s just that Ben is playing an “everyman”. a fellow that many of us know, or “down deep” the person staring back at us from the mirror. Oddly, this man is constantly reflecting on his past, his regrets, and choices. These concerns and worries make up the bulk of BRAD’S STATUS.

The title Brad is played by Mr. Stiller. Brad Sloan is sliding toward the big “5-0” and shares a home in Sacramento, CA with his lovely wife Melanie (Jenna Fisher) and their eighteen year-old aspiring musician son Troy (Austin Abrams). He’s about to go on a college “scouting” tour of East Coast schools with his pop (mom has a big work conference to attend). This prompts Brad to recall his old college days at Tufts (a quaint smaller campus) and compare his life to those of his old classmates. Seems every time Brad channel surfs past a TV political show, one of the “talking heads” is old buddy Craig Fisher (Michael Sheen) a former White House staffer, now published pundit. Then there’s Wall Street whiz Jason Hatfield (Luke Wilson) who’s crisscrossing the globe in his private jet. Billy Wearstler (Jemaine Clement) made a bundle on a tech gizmo and has retired to an Hawaiian island (with two much younger ladies). And Nick Pascale (Mike White) is a celebrated Hollywood producer. As for Brad, he’s running a not-for-profit organization (connecting rich donors to charities) and wondering if he can pay for Troy’s college. But soon into the trip Troy drops a bombshell: his academic counselor said he could get into any school he wanted, including, dare we say, Havard. This energizes Brad who is now “laser-focused” on getting his son into the prestigious college. But when the interview is fouled up, can he get things “back on track” via his old campus pals? Or will he get the “brush off’ (guess the newer term is “ghosted”)?

After several years of franchise flicks (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, MEET THE PARENTS), Stiller reminds us of his considerable dramatic acting “chops”. It’s a thoughtful, quiet performance as he lets eyes (and furrowed brow) do quite a bit of the “heavy lifting” on Brad. The “weight of the world” seems to be on his weary wobbly shoulders as he shuffles through the campus “quads”. Luckily there are the lighter moments and Stiller handles them with subtlety (this from Zoolander?) particularly as he tries to bluff his way past several school officials. Stiller also shows us Brad’s warmth especially in the low-key, “just hangin’ out” at the hotel bits with his son. Abrams is a great partner with Stiller, particularly when he calms down his frenzied father, balancing exasperated embarrassment (the mortified teen) with affection that affirms their deep bond. Though she gets less screen time than him, Fisher is superb as another soothing voice, Brad’s “rock” and Troy’s very proud Mum. It’s a shame that for the bulk of the film she’s regulated to another “wife on the phone”, but thanks to Fisher’s solid work, her presence is always felt. As in the recent HOME AGAIN, Sheen is the hissable villain, though he’s much more complex this time out. Smug and stuffy, as Fisher he haunts Brad like a “ghost of Christmas past”, a reminder of missed chances. Craig does come through in a pinch, but at the dinner reunion with Brad, he reveals his casual cruelty, unaware of the consequences of his actions and words. In between historical figures (Blair, Frost, etc.) Sheen has played many arrogant jerks, but with this script he injects the film with an acidic giddy energy. Wilson and Clement have extended cameos in phone conversations with Stiller, but both deliver the dramatic and comedic “goods”. One supporting actor who’ll soon be on every studios’ “radar” is young Shazi Raja who plays Ananya, a former classmate of Troy’s who is already in the music program at Harvard. A meeting and conversation with her stirs up Brad’s nostalgia for his collegian sense of exploration, perhaps reminding him of lost school crushes. We’re led to think that Brad is smitten, but at a late night cocktail minus Troy, she delivers a scathing “wake up call” in one of the film’s best scenes. Yes, the camera “loves” her, but Raja projects an intelligence and strength that takes the story in a compelling direction.

Mike White may be best known as a writer (SCHOOL OF ROCK, THE GOOD GIRL) and occasional actor (he has no dialogue as Nick Pascale as we see him living in “the lap of luxury” with hubby Xavier), but he shows great skill as a director in this his second feature film ten years after YEAR OF THE DOG. He keeps the story (which he wrote) gliding along at a brisk pace and peppers the flick with some clever fantasy sequences (what if Troy becomes a jerk). Working with the gifted musician Mark Mothersbaugh, White balances Brad’s voiceover with his interior soundtrack that shifts gears as he plunges from euphoria to depression. And White gets great work from several screen vets and a couple of talented newcomers who serve his wise script very well. It’s a thoughtful funny spin on the old “the grass is always greener” adage, showing why “coveting” is mentioned so much in the ten commandments. Despite his restless nights full of worry, BRAD’S STATUS is pretty darned positive. Just like this engaging little film.

4 Out of 5