“Skeleton Twins”: a gutsy portrayal of siblings

From the uplifting trailer with generic pop sounding chord progressions in the background, you may just generalize “The Skeleton Twins” as another comedic flick about a quirky brother and sister duo. However, the trailer is deceiving. This dark film depicts the reunion of two siblings after ten years of estrangement, and their supporting of each other through their battle with depression. Starring Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader as twins Maggie and Milo, “The Skeleton Twins” was the perfect balance of comedy and drama and was one of the most truthful and honest films I’ve seen in a very long time.Just a quick overview: the film begins with a cut back and forth between the two twins attempting suicide in their separate apartments. We watch as Bill Hader (Milo),  gets a razor from his cabinet and settles into a filled bathtub, at the same time that Kristen Wiig (Maggie), pours an excessive amount of sleeping pills into her open hand. This melodramatic opening scene is the beginning of the reconnection between these twins who need each other now more than ever. Maggie hears of her brother’s attempted suicide and rushes to the hospital where they have their first awkward interaction in 10 years. Maggie then offers for Milo to come stay with her and her husband until he can get back on his feet. Milo accepts this offer, and there you have it: a solid hour and thirty-two minute plot!But the thing that really made this film stick out to me was not its plot, but rather the character development throughout the story; especially in Bill Hader’s character. It came as a surprise for me to watch as this former Saturday Night Live star dug deep and came out with a character that was not just defined by that initial suicide attempt, but was more of a person trying to figure out where his life went wrong and how he might be able to put it back in order. This same intention goes for Kristen Wiig’s character as well. However, because of the 2011 hit Bridesmaids, I was a little more used to seeing her play the role of sad-middle-aged-life-going-nowhere-girl.As well as being a heartfelt flick about two siblings trying to get on their feet, “The Skeleton Twins “doesn’t fail to utilize the fact that their two stars are two of the greatest comedic voices of the 21st century. Whether it’s Bill Hader trying to cheer up Kristen Wiig by lip-syncing to Starship’s ‘80s hit “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” or watching the two simply mess around in a dentist’s office, the film showcases the talented comedic twosome at their best—even though their truthful depiction of existential struggle throughout the movie is top-notch as well.bross@thesamohi.com