Cinema is one of the best mediums for providing the feel and attitude of an era. Take the ’80s for instance. The sense of rebellion was personified in the Breakfast Club and the trials and tribulations of impending adulthood by Empire Records. Toss Stand By Me and Lost Boys into the mix, and you get the the picture of a youthful and exciting time to live. Fast forward to now and The Skeleton Twins, for me, is the film which encapsulates my generation: lost, empty, apathetic and living a pretence.
When Maggie (Kristen Wiig) is informed by a hospital that her estranged twin brother Milo (Bill Hader) has attempted to commit suicide, she decides it’s time he moved back from LA to live with her for while. Milo stays with his sister and brother-in-law Lance (Luke Wilson), and decides to track down his old lover, Rich (Ty Burrell). Trouble is, Rich used to be his teacher who had an affair with him when Milo was 15. Maggie isn’t fairing much better. Whilst struggling against Lance’s desire for children, she finds a number of different hobbies in order to sleep with other men.
The Skeleton Twins is a bleak but accurate depiction of two siblings who grew up with a very limited amount of parental support. Their mother is a callous hippy whilst their father committed suicide when they were young. Both leads are impressive, but it’s Wiig who really shines. With The Skeleton Twins, Craig Johnson has produced a bleak yet highly enjoyable comedy drama. It’s intelligent, bright and the Starship scene is pure brilliance.
The Skeleton Twins is released on DVD by Sony Pictures today.
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