Funny Ha Ha (2003)
78%RT Audience Score: 64%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 3 nominations
This modest, unpretentious character study astutely captures the emotional states of the 20-something slacker
Funny Ha Ha is a charmingly irresistible little comedy that’s not actually that funny ha ha, but still manages to be a sensitive and unforced film about the aimlessness of post-graduate life. The non-professional cast is pitch-perfect at firing those dreadful synapses that cause some people to act crazy in the presence of certain other people. It’s refreshingly unpolished and uses pained silences like punctuation, making it one of the most accurate portrayals of post-collegiate disillusionment. Plus, Kate Dollenmayer manages to transform a sad sack into an indie screen goddess, which is pretty impressive. Overall, it’s a modest yet wholly pleasurable tale about the difficulties that come with letting go of youth.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
1302 Commonwealth Ave., Allston, Massachusetts, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2007
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 15, 2003 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 16, 2005
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Kate Dollenmayer, Christian Rudder, Myles Paige, Jennifer L Schaper, Lissa Patton Rudder, Marshall Lewy, directed by Andrew Bujalski, written by Andrew Bujalski, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Xan Brooks, Wendy Ide, Laura Bushell, Nick Schager, David Jenkins, Ann Hornaday, David Lamble, Debbie Lynn Elias, Jon Fortgang, Doris Toumarkine, Kate Dollenmayer as Marnie, Christian Rudder as Alex, Ethan Vogt as producer, MPAA rating, post-graduate life, emotional states, 20-something slacker, temporary work, good friend, shy, neurotic coworker, Boston, desk job, unpretentious, character study, unpolished, pained silences, slice of life, American life, indie screen goddess, non-professional cast, pitch-perfect, post-collegiate disillusionment, aimlessness, letting go of youth
Worldwide gross: $88,078
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $126,178
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,001
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 13,760
US/Canada gross: $77,070
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $110,408
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,654
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,555
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $15,121
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,598
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Christian Rudder – Alex
Myles Paige – Dave
Jennifer L. Schaper – Rachel
Lissa Patton Rudder – Susan
Marshall Lewy – Wyatt
Andrew Bujalski – Director, Mitchell
Ethan Vogt – Producer
Andrew Bujalski – Writer
Director(s)
Andrew Bujalski
Writer(s)
Andrew Bujalski
Producer(s)
Ethan Vogt
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 3 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (5)
Smart, subtle and excruciatingly honest.
March 16, 2007
Xan Brooks
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Refreshingly unpolished, the film uses pained silences like punctuation.
March 16, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Low budget and intimate, perhaps to the point of belonging on the small screen rather than the cinema, its still an intelligent and unpretentious slice of life true American life.
March 16, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Laura Bushell
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Bujalski’s subtly well-constructed film reveals a charmingly idiosyncratic sincerity.
February 15, 2006 | Rating: B+
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
This is an undoubtedly modest yet wholly pleasurable tale about the difficulties that come with letting go of youth.
February 9, 2006
David Jenkins
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
With Marnie, Dollenmayer has managed to transform a sad sack into an indie screen goddess.
September 1, 2005
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
The film’s greatest asset is a non-professional cast that is pitch-perfect at firing those dreadful synapses that cause some people to act crazy in the presence of certain other people.
May 9, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
Realistic dialogue, believable situations and characters and the sheer natural likeability of Kate Dollenmayer make Funny Ha Ha a charmingly irresistible little comedy…
November 7, 2019
Debbie Lynn Elias
Behind The Lens
Not actually that funny ha ha, but a sensitive and unforced little film about the aimlessness of post-graduate life.
March 16, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
Jon Fortgang
Film4
Isn’t much more than a promising calling card that should take director, cast and crew to the next level.
March 1, 2007
Doris Toumarkine
Film Journal International
One of the most accurate portrayals of post-collegiate disillusionment
March 28, 2006 | Rating: 4/4
Derek Smith
Cinematic Reflections
February 21, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com…
Plot
After college, Marnie struggles to find her place in the world while navigating her feelings for her friend Alex. Along the way, she meets a shy coworker named Mitchell who helps her better understand herself in this honest and unpretentious character study.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Kate Dollenmayer “nails the cute, approachable girl-next-door appeal on screen” in Funny Ha Ha, according to one critic review.
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