What Happened to ‘Is This Thing On?’
Bradley Cooper's wise, witty dramedy got lost in the Oscar shuffle
This week’s Oscar nominations packed few surprises.
Sure, few pundits predicted Kate Hudson would score a Best Actress nomination for the engaging “Song Sung Blue.” And “Wicked: For Good” struck out, big time, in several major categories.
Otherwise, movie gurus could have penciled in the nominees with alarming accuracy weeks earlier. The awards season shuffle is nothing if not predictable in the modern era.
One Oscar-bait film got shut out entirely, but that was to be expected. For some reason, director Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On?” came and went without leaving a mark.
And that’s a shame.
Cooper’s third film follows a couple on the brink of divorce. Will Arnett is sensational as a man scrambling for an emotional life line. He finds one in the most unlikely place – an open mic night at a Big Apple comedy club.
The stage becomes an impromptu therapy session, allowing his character to let his emotions out via darkly funny rants.
Meanwhile, his potential ex-wife (Laura Dern, as good as ever) finds herself attracted to a suddenly single old friend (Peyton Manning – yes, THAT Peyton Manning).
“Is This Thing On” offers keen insights into marriage, divorce, sex and middle age. The only flaw? Cooper co-stars as a struggling actor, a character that adds little to the story and feels removed from the marital drama.
Reviewers have been kind to the film, witness the 86 percent “fresh” rating at RottenTomatoes.com. Audiences mostly agreed.
So, where was the awards season love?
The Oscar race is all about consensus. That begins to take shape in the late fall, as critical huzzahs and buzz begin to build around select titles. Some movies get nudged aside despite bravura performances.
Take “After the Fall,” a spry takedown of our Cancel Culture age. It’s flawed, no doubt, but Julia Roberts’ performance is mesmerizing. The film, and her exceptional work, never caught fire and quickly faded from the conversation.
“Is This Thing On?” never got traction. It’s also flopped in theaters, although there’s a good chance most potential patrons never even heard of it.
It’s still worth a look, both for Arnett’s breakthrough performance – he’s a far cry from Gob – and for a story that treats middle-aged characters as real, relatable souls.