• Consequence
  • Music
  • Film
  • TV
  • Heavy
Menu Consequence
Menu Shop Search Newsletter
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Live
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Contest
Advertisement
  • Reviews
  • Film Reviews

Film Review: A Futile and Stupid Gesture Gets Silly and Serious With National Lampoon Story

David Wain dabbles in drama for his star-studded historical reimagining

B

Directed by

  • David Wain

Starring

  • Domhnall Gleeson
  • Emmy Rossum
  • Paul Scheer

Release Year

  • 2018
Advertisement
Michael Roffman
January 24, 2018 | 6:09pm ET

    A Futile and Stupid Gesture didn’t really need to exist. After all, the rock ‘n’ roll story of the National Lampoon was brought to life with much greater depth in Douglas Tirola’s fantastic 2015 documentary, Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon. So, when it was announced that a feature film was being made based on Josh Karp’s book of the same name, the news felt a little old hat, and also seemingly impossible given that they’d have to cast a bunch of icons who were never going to match the larger-than-life personalities, most of whom have created the bedrock for modern comedy.

    Of course, those feelings changed when it was confirmed that David Wain was set to direct. Arguably the grandfather of modern meta comedy, the veteran filmmaker has carved out a niche for himself with his subversive brand of absurdism, particularly in relation to traditional Hollywood storytelling. He bit his thumb at rom-coms with 2014’s They Came Together, tossed mud on yuppies with 2012’s Wanderlust, gave religion a run for its logic with 2007’s The Ten, and stained everyone’s rose-tinted lenses with 2001’s Wet Hot American Summer. That’s all without mentioning his even wilder exploits online.

    So, if anyone could justifiably bring the National Lampoon story to life as a feature film, it’s Wain, whose meta approach to narrative might eschew the precious tropes that come with such a film. In other words, by coming into the source material with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, Wain could get away with anyone treating it like a tried and true historical drama, the ones you’d expect from your Spielbergs, your Finchers, or your Scotts. And really, that’s the only way this was ever going to work, namely because that’s exactly what the story insists upon … it’s in the very nature of the National Lampoon itself.

    (10 Years, 10 Questions: David Wain Walks Us Through His Entire Career)

    Advertisement
    Related Video

    To some degree, that’s exactly what Wain did with A Futile and Stupid Gesture. Right from the start, he employs an incredibly self-aware Martin Mull, who introduces himself before explaining how he’ll serve as both the film’s narrator and a modern-day version of National Lampoon co-founder Doug Kenney — you know, had he not passed away in the summer of 1980. Within minutes, he shatters any pretense of the film taking itself seriously, stating, “Yeah, so these actors don’t look exactly like the real people — but come on, you think I looked like Will Forte when I was 27? You think Will Forte looks 27?”

    It’s a very Wain-y move that delivers by the end, but not without struggling along the way. The issue is that the story isn’t particularly funny, even if it’s dealing with very funny people doing very funny things. Kenney’s arc is tragic, a narrative brimming with addiction, depression, and the cruel irony of feeling isolated amid fame and fortune. Wain pivots accordingly, but the film strains to accommodate the weight that comes with each shift, and that’s mostly because John Aboud and Michael Colton’s screenplay only offers a cursory glance at the demons taunting Kenney behind the scenes.

    To his credit, Forte does an exceptional job elevating the drama with a performance that ably mixes the silent defeat he exhibits in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska with the week-to-week shenanigans he brings to Fox’s Last Man on Earth. The entire third act rests heavily on his shoulders, and Forte never hunches. Though, the same could be said of Domhnall Gleeson, who plays his on-screen colleague, Lampoon co-founder Henry Beard. The unlikely chemistry between the two actors, who are cut from two very different kinds of cloth, is quite palpable and their scenes together are among the film’s best.

    (Read: The 25 Most Anticipated Movies of 2018)

    Advertisement

    What’s also refreshing is how Wain –or, more specifically, casting director Allison Jones — was able to nail some of the biggest icons involved with the Lampoon. Joel McHale is eerily spot-on as Chevy Chase. (No, their connection through Community is not lost on this writer.) Rick Glassman is Harold Ramis reincarnated. Lonny Ross is a New Yorker cartoon of Ivan Reitman come to life. Jon Daly captures the doofus spirit of an early ’80s Bill Murray. And, Christ almighty, is Matt Lucas a carbon copy of Tony Hendra. Granted, they probably wouldn’t have worked in a straight-up drama, but for this? Totally.

    Therein lies the issue again: What exactly is this movie supposed to be? Well, if you’re trying to learn about the history of the Lampoon and what the publication meant to pop culture, you’d be better off seeking out the aforementioned documentary. But, if you’re interested in a fairly simple movie about a very complicated genius, then A Futile and Stupid Gesture should do you good. Although the film lacks his absurdism, there’s a musicality to Wain’s direction that’s addicting, and the emotional punch in the final five minutes proves there’s a future for the filmmaker that goes way beyond the yucks.

    In that respect, A Futile and Stupid Gesture is anything but that.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
Advertisement

More on this topic

  • Adaptation
  • Comedy
  • David Wain
  • Joel McHale
  • John Aboud
  • Jon Daly
  • Matt Lucas
  • Michael Colton
  • National Lampoon
  • Netflix
  • Rick Glassman
  • Will Forte

Sign up for updates

Subscribe to our email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.

Advertisement

Popular Stories

Motley Crue John 5 official photo

Heavy Consequence

Mötley Crüe Unveil First Official Band Photo Featuring New Guitarist John 5

armie hammer interview

Film

Armie Hammer Breaks Silence on Abuse Allegations in New Interview

Advertisement

 Find Remedies for a Balanced Life. Shop all things Flower Lab, starting at $7.99!

Find Remedies for a Balanced Life. Shop all things Flower Lab, starting at $7.99!

Public Image LTD. compete for Eurovision

Music

Public Image Ltd. Will Not Represent Ireland at Eurovision After Losing in Qualifying Round

Taylor Schilling dear Edward Kyle Meredith podcast interview

Kyle Meredith With... Podcast

Taylor Schilling on Dear Edward and Seeing Bob Dylan as Her First Concert

Latest Stories

B-
Skinamarink Review Kyle Edward Ball

Skinamarink Review: Great Experimental Horror That May Leave You Unsatisfied

February 3, 2023

B
Knock at the Cabin (Universal Pictures)

Knock at the Cabin Review: M. Night Shyamalan Offers a Chilling Treatise on Belief

February 3, 2023

Groundhog Day Bill Murray Anniversary

Groundhog Day at 30: Bill Murray Finds Freedom While Trapped in a Nightmare

February 2, 2023

Sundance 2023 Film Reviews

Sundance 2023 Review Roundup: The Best Films We Saw This Year

January 30, 2023

A-
Infinity Pool Review Alexander Skarsgard

Infinity Pool Sends You Down a Road of Hedonistic Excess (In a Good Way): Review

January 27, 2023

B+
Netflix You people

You People Review: Eddie Murphy and Jonah Hill Star in a Funny and Refreshing Update of a Familiar Tale

January 27, 2023

B-
Jamojaya Rich Brian Sundance Review

Rich Brian Juggles Family, Music, and Culture in Jamojaya: Sundance Review

January 25, 2023

B-
Cat Person Review Nicholas Braun

The New Yorker Bad-Date Story Gets Frustratingly Literal in Cat Person: Sundance Review

January 25, 2023

Advertisement

News

  • Music
  • New Music
  • Album Streams
  • Upcoming Releases
  • Tours
  • Film
  • TV
  • Pop Culture

Reviews

  • Music Reviews
  • Film Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • Concert Reviews
  • Festival Reviews

Features

  • Editorials
  • Interviews
  • Cover Stories
  • Lists
  • Guides
  • CoSign
  • Song of the Week

Live

  • Tickets
  • Festival News
  • Tour Dates
  • Photo Galleries
  • Music Instruments & Gear

Heavy

  • News
  • Interviews
  • Concerts

More

  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Wellness
  • Giveaways

Other sites

  • Heavy Consequence
  • Consequence Media
  • Modern Drummer
  • About
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertising
  • Work For Us
  • Terms
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Download our app

  • Get it on the App Store
  • Get it on Google Play
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitch
  • Tiktok
Consequence
Current story

Film Review: A Futile and Stupid Gesture Gets Silly and Serious With National Lampoon Story

Menu Shop Search Newsletter
Consequence
News
  • News
  • Music
  • New Music
  • Album Streams
  • Upcoming Releases
  • Tours
  • Film
  • TV
  • Pop Culture
Reviews
  • Music Reviews
  • Film Reviews
  • TV Reviews
  • Concert Reviews
  • Festival Reviews
Features
  • All Features
  • Editorials
  • Interviews
  • Cover Stories
  • Lists
  • Guides
  • CoSign
  • Song of the Week
Live
  • Tickets
  • Festival News
  • Tour Dates
  • Photo Galleries
  • Music Instruments & Gear
Podcasts
  • The Opus
  • Kyle Meredith With...
  • Stanning BTS
  • The Story Behind the Song
  • The What
  • Going There with Dr. Mike
  • The Rome and Duddy Show
Videos
  • Interviews
  • Two for the Road
  • First Time I Heard
  • When I Made
  • Battle of the Bandmates
  • Peer 2 Peer
  • Essays
  • Fan Theories
Heavy
  • News
  • Interviews
  • Concerts
  • Premieres
  • Culture
  • Beyond the Boys Club
  • Mining Metal
Shop
  • Shop
  • Giveaways

Follow Consequence

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitch
  • Tiktok
Close
Close