Funny Ha Ha

Funny Ha Ha
Directed by Andrew Bujalski
Produced by Ethan Vogt
Morgan Faust
Hagai Shaham
Written by Andrew Bujalski
Starring Kate Dollenmayer
Mark Herlehy
Christian Rudder
Jennifer L. Schaper
Myles Paige
Marshall Lewy
Cinematography Matthias Grunsky
Distributed by Fox Lorber
Sundance Channel
Goodbye Cruel Releasing
Wellspring Media
Release dates
  • September 2002 (Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival)
  • April 16, 2005 (United States)
Running time
 89 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Funny Ha Ha, considered[1] the first mumblecore film, follows the exploits of recently graduated protagonist Marnie as she tries to find a temporary job and win the attention of a college friend named Alex (who is already in a relationship), while trying to cut down on her beer consumption. Shot on 16 mm film on a very low budget, the film provides a glimpse into the lives of people in their twenties as they try to come to terms with life after college. It also deals with how they intend to confront the responsibilities of adulthood, if only to put them off for as long as possible. The 2002 film's events take place around the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

Reception

The movie was largely successful with critics, who praised it for its realism. It received an 87% freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes[2] and a rating of 78 on Metacritic.[3]

Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe called the film a "smartly observed, unpretentious, and unconventional comedy of manners".[4] Daily Variety's Robert Koehler said the movie was "beautifully observant and wholly unpretentious".[5]

It was named to top 10 lists by A.O. Scott of The New York Times, Kimberley Jones of The Austin Chronicle, Mark Mohan of The Oregonian and Robert Koehler of Variety.[6]

The film's widest release was three theaters. It grossed $82,620.[7]

Awards

Andrew Bujalski was the winner of the 2004 Someone to Watch Award at the Independent Spirit Awards.[8] The film won the featured film award at the 2004 Black Point Film Festival.[9] In 2005, Kate Dollenmayer was runner-up for the National Society of Film Critics Best Actress award.[10]

References

External links