Funny Ha Ha
Encyclopedia
Funny ha ha, considered 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 film's events take place around the Allston
neighborhood of Boston
, Massachusetts
.
and a rating of 78 on Metacritic
.
Wesley Morris
of the The Boston Globe
called the film a "smartly observed, unpretentious, and unconventional comedy of manners." Daily Variety
s Robert Koehler said the movie was "beautifully observant and wholly unpretentious."
It was named to top 10 lists by A.O. Scott of The New York Times
, Kimberley Jones of the The Austin Chronicle, Mark Mohan of the The Oregonian
and Robert Koehler of Variety.
Despite its critical acclaim, the film's widest release was only in three theaters; it grossed only $82,620.
was the winner of the 2004 Someone to Watch Award at the Independent Spirit Awards
. The film won the featured film award at the 2004 Black Point Film Festival. In 2005, Kate Dollenmayer was runner-up for the National Society of Film Critics
Best Actress award.
Mumblecore
Mumblecore is an American independent film movement that arose at the turn of the 21st century. Filmmakers associated with the movement include Andrew Bujalski, Lynn Shelton, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Aaron Katz, Joe Swanberg, and Barry Jenkins....
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
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the 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 film's events take place around the Allston
Allston, Boston, Massachusetts
Allston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located in the western part of the city. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is administered collectively with the adjacent...
neighborhood of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Reception
The movie was largely successful with critics, who praised it for its realism. It received an 89-percent freshness score on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and a rating of 78 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris is a film critic at The Boston Globe where he reviews films alongside Ty Burr. Morris and Burr also make regular appearances on NECN to discuss the latest films and do the weekly Take Two film review video series on Boston.com...
of the The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called the film a "smartly observed, unpretentious, and unconventional comedy of manners." Daily Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
s Robert Koehler said the movie was "beautifully observant and wholly unpretentious."
It was named to top 10 lists by A.O. Scott of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Kimberley Jones of the The Austin Chronicle, Mark Mohan of the The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
and Robert Koehler of Variety.
Despite its critical acclaim, the film's widest release was only in three theaters; it grossed only $82,620.
Awards
Andrew BujalskiAndrew Bujalski
Andrew Bujalski, born April 29, 1977 in Boston, Massachusetts, is an American film director, screenwriter and actor, who has been called the "Godfather of Mumblecore."- Bio :...
was the winner of the 2004 Someone to Watch Award at the Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
. The film won the featured film award at the 2004 Black Point Film Festival. In 2005, Kate Dollenmayer was runner-up for the National Society of Film Critics
National Society of Film Critics
The National Society of Film Critics is an American film critic organization. As of December 2007 the NSFC had approximately 60 members who wrote for a variety of weekly and daily newspapers.-History:...
Best Actress award.