[Rating: Solid Rock Fist Up]
When I was a kid, I was a lonely child. I was an only child, in fact! With no sibling and not one to interact with the neighborhood kids around me, I made an imaginary friend, George. Now, while I don’t remember the details of George, I do remember at one point in my life I sent him away. My young mind grew up and George left. But where did he go? Did somebody else inherit him? Surprisingly, questions like these are raised and answered in John Krasinski’s new movie, IF (Imaginary Friend). This delightfully weird movie makes me hopeful that my friend George has lived a fulfilling life.
Bea (Cailey Fleming) has moved in with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw). Her mother has passed away and her father (Krasinski) is recovering in the hospital with a “broken heart.” Young Bea has gone through so many hardships in her young life. One night, out of the corner of her eye, she sees…something. That something, she ends up following to the upstairs apartment. There she meets Cal (Ryan Reynolds) and some interesting creatures. They are IFs, imaginary friends. Blue (Steve Carell) is a big purple furry monster who is looking for a new kid to be friends with and Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) a humanoid butterfly, along with Cal teach Bea that she can see IFs. With Bea’s newfound gift, the trio set out to find other IFs at a retirement home run by a teddy bear named Lewis (Louis Gossett Jr.).
Along the way, Bea comes to understand why IFs are so important not only to children, but the adults that grew up and may have forgotten them. Bea and Cal learn of that spark of inspiration that can make adults remember their IFs and make them remember a good point in their lives. Bea also comes to better accept that her father is sick, yet takes his advice to keep hoping and looking at the good days they can share together, in case an upcoming surgery does not go well.
I did not expect to like this movie as much as I did. The creatures are intriguing to say the least. Their wildly animated CGI actually works here because they are supposed to be imaginary. I think the biggest thing I loved about this was the heart of the story. When Bea discovers that everybody—no matter what age they are—needs an IF, the subsequent scenes are tender and make me choke up. Even a montage of how to re-home IFs to somebody like Benjamin (Alan Kim), a boy Bea meets in the hospital, is unique and inventive. The twist, which I saw coming about an hour into the film, is a bit on the nose, but is easily remedied with how much love is in this. Note a very haunting ballet scene between Grandmother and Blossom that is too damn good for a family flick.
So if you have ever had an IF, rest assured even as an adult they watch over you. They are that little voice in the back of your head that says you’re okay and your life is good. They are the good days and good moments you have that guide you.
Christian Ramos is a classic film fan, having had the dream to host Turner Classic Movies for years now. He also has a large amount of Oscar trivia in his head, remembers dressing as Groucho Marx one Halloween, and cherishes the moment Julianne Moore liked his tweet.
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