Mike Birbiglia is a stand-up comedian. I’ll say that first as a way of introduction for those not familiar with his specials, his appearances on numerous popular podcasts, his minor roles in several movies or his directorial debut, the underrated Sleepwalk With Me from 2012. That movie was based on a story Birbiglia told on the popular NPR program This American Life and was produced by the show’s host, Ira Glass. It was a movie about the stand-up comedy scene, but it was also about life, marriage, expectation, fear and, of course, sleepwalking. Like many of the stories on This American Life, it was at once beautifully simplistic and subtly complex.
That’s one introduction of Birbiglia. But there’s a new one, a better one and it hits theaters today. Don’t Think Twice is the comedian’s second feature film and he serves as its writer, its director and one of its stars. Like its predecessor, this is a movie about comedy and life made in collaboration with Ira Glass. In that sense, not much has really changed. Except this time, the comedian is sure to meet the minds of a much larger audience because, especially in a year filled with foul Hollywood regurgitation, he has created more than just a fresh, honest indie film — he’s made the best movie of the summer.
While Birbiglia might be at the very center of this movie, his character, Miles, is certainly not the focus. This is a movie about improv, so it’s all about a group: a New York-based troupe that goes by “The Commune.” Miles is joined by Jack (Keegan-Michael Key in a perfect post-Peele role), his girlfriend Sam (Gillian Jacobs doing breakthrough-level work), Bill (Chris Gethard), Lindsay (Tami Sagher) and Allison (Kate Micucci).
The tight-knit group is always together, riffing off each other constantly and creating the type of little world that can make a city like New York seem cozy and accepting. They each find themselves at different points in their life. Miles, for instance, tried out for the improv big leagues, Weekend Live (essentially Saturday Night Live) years ago but didn’t make it and is now moving into his thirties with restlessness, regret and little money. Lindsay, on the other hand, lives in a spacious apartment with her wealthy parents. Each has their own story but for all of them, improv is their love and the catalyst of their dreams. Improv is it.
So, when two of The Commune’s members are offered auditions at Weekend Live, an earthquake rocks these friends’ foundation. Envy, anxiety and fear all surface, turning the haven of the troupe into just another place susceptible to the bad weather life can provide.
Just as all members of an improv group help each other shine, the five actors here feed off of each other to produce a phenomenal ensemble performance. There is no weak link and there are no weak scenes. Birbiglia’s script is a good one, but it’s these performances that give the movie the kind of humanity that’s reminiscent of the very best This American Life story.
I was surprised at how much Don’t Think Twice struck me upon first viewing. But my response wasn’t just based on an admiration of the storytelling and the craft; it was built mostly on the emotional honesty and relatable moments that Birbiglia and his cast create over and over again.
Strong reactions to good movies often rise up from some unknown place inside of us and are therefore hard to explain, but I’ll take a shot at this one. To start, I’ve never been in an improv group. But, at this time, on the verge of my senior year of college, I exist within, and am constantly surrounded by, many delicate bonds of connection. One of life’s undeniable finish lines fast approaches and my friends and classmates all move toward it at different speeds. This race doesn’t mix well with once-strong friendships that were formed in more harmless times. And I’ve found that when students my age find some kind of success, whether it’s an internship landed, a job promised or a seemingly-perfect significant other found, their joy is met by congratulations layered with resentment and a deepened feeling of uncertainty. None of us know what the hell we’re doing; none of our futures are secure. All we think we know is who our friends are. So when one of them finds something that could take them to the next phase of life, closer to reality and, so you assume, farther away from you — well, that’s scary.
In a post-screening interview with The Diamondback that you can read right here, Birbiglia said that despite the fact that this movie appears on the surface to be pretty niche, it can certainly spur reactions like mine because the themes are universal.
“The goal was ‘how do I make a movie about the fact that life isn’t fair’ and improv just proved to be a great metaphor for that,” the comedian said.
So, not the funniest theme to build a movie around. And, to be fair, at times this movie is fairly devastating. It attacks your heart in subtle ways, making cases for both happy and sad tears. There are plenty of laughs, too. With Don’t Think Twice, Birbiglia has struck the rare balance that constitutes perfect dramedy.
This concoction — perfect dramedy — is something that in the past has only been achieved by the Apatow and Louie-level thinkers and creators. This movie puts Birbiglia in that arena. So the opening line of this review isn’t really correct. More than a stand-up comedian, it’s easier now to view him as a very good writer with interesting things to say about people and the things we do and feel. Descriptions like that are rare, but so are movies like Don’t Think Twice.
