X
- 2017
- R
- Annapurna Pictures
- 1 h 42 m
- 2017
- R
- Annapurna Pictures
- 1 h 42 m
Summary Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller) has a satisfying career and a comfortable life in suburban Sacramento where he lives with his sweet-natured wife, Melanie (Jenna Fischer), and their musical prodigy son, Troy (Austin Abrams), but it’s not quite what he imagined during his college glory days. Showing Troy around Boston, where Brad went to univers...
Directed By: Mike White
Written By: Mike White
- 2017
- R
- Annapurna Pictures
- 1 h 42 m
- 2017
- R
- Annapurna Pictures
- 1 h 42 m
Brad's Status
71
6.5
Where to Watch
Summary Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller) has a satisfying career and a comfortable life in suburban Sacramento where he lives with his sweet-natured wife, Melanie (Jenna Fischer), and their musical prodigy son, Troy (Austin Abrams), but it’s not quite what he imagined during his college glory days. Showing Troy around Boston, where Brad went to univers...
Directed By: Mike White
Written By: Mike White
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 40 Critic Reviews
71
75% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
20% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
5% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 40 Critic Reviews
71
75% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
20% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
5% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
When explored by writer-director Mike White’s expert, soulful script, Brad, against all odds, becomes a sympathetic figure, and the film itself achieves a sort of poetry.
The surprising results are unlike anything I’ve seen lately, and the best surprise of all is a funny, inspired and career-enhancing star performance by Ben Stiller that left me touched, applauding and laughing out loud.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 56 User Ratings
6.5
66% Positive
37 Ratings
37 Ratings
21% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
13% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 56 User Ratings
6.5
66% Positive
37 Ratings
37 Ratings
21% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
13% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
It speaks volumes that a movie like this gets a 70 here at Metacrtic while
a Guardians of the Galaxy gets a 90. Its actually quite depressing.
I thought this movie was great. This movie will undoubtedly do very
well in Europe, as do Woody Allen movies, and for the same reasons:
this movie articulates some of inner thoughts and re-focuses our
attention on what is important in life. Many people I believe were put off by the abrupt ending and it is a bit
abrupt. But the writing is just perfect and Ben Stiller has so much
depth. Ben Stiller has to be commended. He can make millions and
chooses from time to time movies like this one and Greenberg. Keep them
coming Ben. Much appreciated.
A gem.
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A story about a person's internal struggle with the reality and perceptions, White examines the thoughtful and doubtful mind of Mid-age Brad who questions his career choices and idealistic goals. The well-developed characters and father-son relationship truly underscore the importance of family and the insignificance of competitions, suggesting one should always cherish what he or she has rather than regret what's been lost.
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Brad walks around seething, and Stiller is a good seether. He has made a career of playing men with colossal chips on their shoulders. He has a zest for humiliation. Maybe he fits the role of Brad too well. He’s so convincing that he’s difficult to watch. So is the movie, though on balance it’s very fine.
White excels at writing dislikable protagonists — topped by Laura Dern on the HBO series “Enlightened” — while giving his characters enough humanity not to be monsters, and the potential for change.
While the ride is often entertaining and the performances mostly satisfying, it’s a frustrating experience, like watching the journal of the least self-aware person you’ve ever met come to vivid, whining life.
Brad’s Status is a frustrating concoction. There’s a script full of insight but also inanity and while the performances might jump out, the direction falls flat. Stiller is back on the right route but, like Brad, he could afford to take a more daring detour every now and then.
Brad’s Status rarely affords its titular character an opportunity to have a real conversation with anyone else his own age, so the movie becomes a monologue from someone you quickly realize you don’t really want to get to know anyway.
'Brad's Status' is a really good, very deep film. This is an arty drama starring Ben Stiller, and he gives an emotionally profound performance as a father who's trying to connect with his son (Austin Abrams), evaluating his own life, and facing his fear that one or both of them will ultimately be a failure.
Mike White ('School of Rock') is the writer and first-time director. He executes a simple, familiar premise thoroughly, with loving attention to detail. This is a self-aware, mature film.
Mark Mothersbaugh's score is incredibly skilful. Not many composers can make an audience laugh darkly at a single well-placed piano chord -- but he can. When several characters converge upon a performance of Dvořák's 'Humoresque,' too, it's a well-earned emotional moment.
Look, I wasn't sure about going to see a Ben Stiller movie either, but I **** you not. At the end of my screening, strangers in the audience were looking at each other open-mouthed. 'Brad's Status' reminded me of Woody Allen movies, and of 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.' Go and see this movie. 9/10
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Ben Stiller does a fine job here as Brad, wallowing in status envy as he considers the perceived success of his fellow graduates. It's a very watchable flick but honestly, it's not that profound, your basic grass is greener situation. Brad isn't facing any challenge or conflict except his own negative self evaluation, and the sum of the action is that over the time frame of a college visit with his son to Boston, we get to watch him beat himself up while still successfully pulling strings to get his son into Harvard. One of the characters comments that everything he's describing can be summed up as privileged white male problems. I felt this was meant to be a 'deep moment'. It wasn't.
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This is pretty typical Ben Stiller fare. Although its categorised as a comedy, it certainly isn't an obviously laugh out loud funny type of a film, so I'd question labelling it a comedy. However, there are a few moments which I suppose made me smirk a bit. Its another sort of life reflective, somewhat philosophical (without being too deep), not quite maudlin but not entirely far away from that either. The main character, Brad, is someone the viewer is clearly meant to feel sorry for but I wasn't especially convinced by the performance Stiller gave. However, nonetheless it was a pretty easy watch and I suppose I imagine others would enjoy it more than I did. I didn't think it was entirely memorable as such but others may disagree - perhaps its more aimed at parents of adolescents soon set to leave home, as the plot is mostly about Brads son looking to go to college.
I thought Jenna Fischer and Michael Sheen gave alright performances but otherwise, there isn't much to say about it, although I did find the instrumental music played in the background quite distracting and irritating at times. There is plot development but it felt painfully slow to me.
I wouldn't especially recommend it as such, no.
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Ben Stiller is very unbelievable and very unlike able. The writing is very mediocre and depends on voice overs. The plot is weak and left unfinished. The sons acting is better and he moves my review up from a zero to a one!
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Awards
Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Toronto International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Gotham Awards
• 1 Nomination
