Brad’s Status **** (2017, Ben Stiller, Austin Abrams, Jenna Fischer, Michael Sheen) – Movie Review

Excellent – thoughtful and amusing, with a tremendous, clever and witty screenplay, and Ben Stiller great.

Writer-director Mike White’s charming 2017 comedy drama is absolutely excellent, with a role as an under-achieving middle-ager that fits Ben Stiller like a glove, forming a strong double act with Austin Abrams as his over-achieving college act son.

Brad’s Status is thoughtful and amusing, with a tremendous, clever and witty screenplay, as well as first-rate, truthful performances.

Ben Stiller is great as Brad Sloan, the midlife crisis father who takes his clever son Troy (Austin Abrams) to tour posh privileged colleges on the East Coast to fast track admission. Brad is keen to bond with his son, but this proves more difficult than he’d thought. He calls and meets his outwardly successful old buddy Craig Fisher (Michael Sheen), who makes him feel he’s messed up his life.

[Spoiler alert] It turns out the son doesn’t need his help but ironically he needs him anyway. The 2017 son is way more confident than the dad, finding he has to provide the support the parent needs.

Ben Stiller and Dustin Hoffman in The Meyerowitz Stories.

This follows The Meyerowitz Stories for Stiller, making 2017 a good year for him.

Mike White’s last film as director was Year of the Dog (2007). He also wrote School of Rock and Nacho Libre.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Movie Review

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