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‘A Futile and Stupid Gesture’ does not disappoint

Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray; comedic icons. “Animal House” and “Caddyshack;” films that have become staples in American humor.

Perhaps a lesser-known name, but an equally important one, responsible for bringing these people and movies to the forefront of comedy is writer Doug Kenney.

The life of Kenney and the development of the National Lampoon, a popular monthly humor magazine established in 1970, is depicted in Netflix’s bio-pic, “A Futile and Stupid Gesture.” The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 24 and was released on Netflix two days later. Much like Kenney himself, the film is entertaining and witty but still flawed.

Kenney worked behind the scenes as a writer and co-creator on both “Animal House” and “Caddyshack,” but he made a name for himself in comedy writing as the co-founder of National Lampoon, which gained widespread fame as a turning point in modern American comedy.

Will Forte portrays Kenney, who started his career while attending Harvard as a writer for Harvard Lampoon. In an attempt to spare himself the minuscule desk job that his parents expected him to get, Kenney and his Harvard colleague Henry Beard decided to form National Lampoon.

The success of the magazine throughout the 1970s led to the creation of National Lampoon’s own radio show and live theater performances, which is where Belushi, Chase, Radner and others furthered their fledgling comedy careers before becoming cast members on “Saturday Night Live.”

The film is carried by Forte’s performance as he portrays the high of the magazine’s success, the scorn of Kenney’s rivalry with “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels and the stress to create comedic content that keeps the American audience’s attention. While Forte brings energy and wit, the stand-out moments of the performance are when Forte must depict the downward spiral of depression and addiction to cocaine Kenney suffers near the end of his life. It is this range, never before seen from Forte, that brings a human element to the film.

The supporting cast of Joel McHale, Emmy Rossum, Ed Helms, Matt Walsh, Seth Green and Domnhall Gleeson, among others, bounce banter and jokes off of one another – making it seem as if the viewer is among them in the editorial room of National Lampoon.

Yet, for all of the film’s creativity, it isn’t without blemish. The film feels a bit top heavy. Too much time is spent on the development of the magazine while the more serious parts of Kenney’s life are touched on briefly. Kenney’s constant desire to please his unapproving parents or the madness he fell into after “Caddyshack” failed to meet the success of “Animal House” lacked the same emphasis as the beginning of the film.

The film ends when Kenney dies in 1980 at the age of 33 by falling off a cliff while in Hawaii. Some consider Kenney’s death a suicide because of his disappointment in the lackluster response to “Caddyshack.” Harold Ramis quipped around the time of Kenney’s death that “he probably fell while he was looking for a place to jump.” The film leaves the cause of Kenney’s death up to the viewer’s interpretation.

Flaws and all, “A Futile and Stupid Gesture” the movie was entertaining and intriguing. Forte’s performance captured the success, quirkiness and despair of Kenney. This is the kind of original content Netflix should focus on, something of substance that serves a niche audience.

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