I love this movie in a way that goes beyond just adoring the craftsmanship, story, or characters (though all those things are great in this movie.) It’s a movie that hit me at a weird time in my life, and had a really profound effect on me. For those reasons alone, I will always have a soft spot for it.
I saw this movie very early in my film career. I had been working in film for two years at that point, a very short period of time by any measurement, but I had begun to chafe at my experience. At the time I wasn't sure which role I wanted to play on a set. I knew I wanted to tell stories but the how of it seemed to escape me. I knew I couldn't do it as a production assistant or DIT. I knew I had to write in some capacity. But the grind of working enough jobs to survive and trying to find time for writing felt impossible.
Don't Think Twice centers on a group of improv performers who are trying to survive the daily grind until they (fingers crossed) make it big. When one of the performers manages to audition and win a spot on an SNL-type show, their success threatens to torpedo the whole troupe. Suddenly, a tightly knit group becomes overwhelmed by sniping and in-fighting as each of them tries to find a way forward with their careers and lives.
It is unflinchingly honest about the type of jealousy lurking underneath the surface of all of these characters. The writing is undoubtedly the strongest part of this film as the sniping never once pulls a punch. Further, the way it establishes characters, juggles multiple storylines, and builds and creates conflicts and tension are all masterclasses in how to do all of the above. The hardest thing to do is make something look easy and Birbiglia's writing does just that. It’s deceptively skillful, creating situations ripe for each of the players to trade barbs or reconsider their career trajectory. All under the light touch of a comedy.
In the immediate aftermath of seeing this film, I remember telling friends that I felt like I'd seen a horror film. It was dramatic, sure, but the truth of it was that I felt as though I'd seen my own life on screen. And I didn't like what I saw. I saw my own bitterness and frustration at having dragged my feet in the pursuit of the dreams I claimed to have. I felt the hurt of having not accomplished what I'd set out to achieve. It woke me up to what I was doing with my life. I couldn't continue to pursue this career so haphazardly. If I was going to tell stories, I needed to knuckle up and do it. I started writing regularly and took more time between jobs (when I was able) to focus on my work. I wrote the first draft of a feature film. I wrote shorts. I wrote pilots. I committed to learning the basics of how to tell a story on the page. Even today, the (healthy) fear it inspired still lives in the back of my mind, motivating me.
Don’t Think Twice isn’t a perfect movie nor is it particularly groundbreaking. Some of the pacing in the back half is still a little wonky to me, which causes some of the beats to not land as sharply as they could have. But it's original impact on me has never been lost. It's a film that sets out to tell a story about the intersections in our lives and how the short term choices affect our long term hopes. It's a film that forced me to reconsider the choices I was making and the path I was pursuing. Great art can do that sometimes.
"Don't Think Twice" is available to stream on Hulu and available for rent on Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play.
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