By now, it’s common practice for most — if not all — comedic actors to make the jump to dramatic acting. Unsurprising, most pull it off, because — surprise surprise — drama isn’t nearly as hard to pull off as comedy, at least successfully. Still, it is commendable when a talented comedy actor can express his or her versatility, and that’s what Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig do in The Skeleton Twins.
Despite being out-of-contact for the past ten years, twins Maggie (Wiig) and Milo (Hader) have an odd parallel in their lives when both plan to commit suicide at the same time. Ultimately, however, Milo beats Maggie to the punch, but still finds himself alive and placed in a hospital not too far from his hometown. Maggie, being Milo’s only reasonable contact, is forced to go out and mend their broken relationship.
In a fleeting effort to help mend their dysfunctional relationship and Milo’s life, Maggie invites her brother to stay with her and her husband, Lance (Luke Wilson). Agreeing, Milo soon finds himself and his sister reflecting on life values they thought were pushed away far in their psyche after their high school days.
As simply a showcase of Hader and Wiig’s acting chops, The Skeleton Twins exceeds. Their performances are nicely grounded and well-kept, playing well into their shared strengths, both as comedic and dramatic actors, without ever going overboard. It’s just a bit of a shame that they have to be placed in a story as traditional and familiar as this one.
All too often, The Skeleton Twins plays like a high schooler’s vision of a comedic drama. As it is constantly accompany itself with predictable dark twists and some unearned attempts at sympathy. It’s all a bit pretentious to be frank, and yet Craig Johnson — who also directs — and Mark Heyman’s script has a nice amount of quiet reflection to make it all work out. Especially in the movie’s third act, Johnson’s film contains a nicely subdued collection of scenes showcasing the talents of its performers, while letting them do so in nicely subtle manners.
Hader is the standout here, as Milo and his performance are more likably thoughtful. But Wiig constantly demonstrates her capabilities for playing up the morally confused, continuously anguished Maggie. Even when her character is fairly unlikable, she finds a way to root in some sympathy within a script almost carelessly trying to throw it by the bucket full into its audience.
Also standing out here is Wilson, playing his most earnest and enjoyable performance in years. Having already been a highlight in the recently short-lived series Enlightened, Wilson constantly demonstrates his knack for playing enjoyably laid-back supporting characters. It’s a bit of a shame that he can’t quite find himself a lead performance that excels on this, though. Likewise, playing a more restrained character than we’re used to seeing from the performer, Ty Burrell, as a light and dark figure from Milo’s past, also continues to demonstrate his strengths at playing the many layers of American middle-aged fathers.
Had the movie not been so crippled by its narrative and visual clichés, The Skeleton Twins could very well have been a great little gem of an indie. It clearly has the talents in front of the camera to work, and Johnson’s direction suggests a filmmaker able to pass himself off as a dynamically refrained director in later films. Still, in focusing on the flawed-but-likable film at hand, Johnson’s film is one of the rare exceptions where the actors solely make the film shine. Solidifying itself as being another centerpiece for the talents of the SNL alums of the past decade.
