Since the 1990s, Zach Galifianakis has been a creative force in both small-screen and cinematic comedy. For many though, his presence in media boils down to two major projects: “The Hangover” and “Between Two Ferns.”
Originally released on the website Funny or Die in 2008, “Between Two Ferns” featured Galifianakis interviewing celebrities in an exaggerated, inept and generally confrontational manner. A decade in, the webseries inked a deal with Netflix, and “Between Two Ferns: The Movie,” an 82-minute feature film, was born.
After nearly drowning Matthew McConaughey in a sprinkler accident, talk show host Galifianakis is tasked with creating 10 episodes of the show “Between Two Ferns” while driving from North Carolina to Los Angeles. Along the way, Galifianakis manages to meet and interview a large number of celebrities, including actors and musicians such as John Legend and Brie Larson, all in the hopes of signing a big-network contract of his own. Alongside him are his loyal small town crew, made up of Carol (Lauren Lapkus), Galifianakis’ assistant and part-time babysitter, Boom Boom (Jiavani Linayao), the show’s energetic sound mixer, and Cam (Ryan Gaul), the cameraman and nemesis to Galifianakis’ character.
An 82-minute runtime makes this a short movie, one which feels over nearly as soon as it begins. A large portion of the 82-minutes are exclusively made up of segments of “Between Two Ferns”, and while these often prove to be the most entertaining portions of the movie, they cut deep into any exterior material for the cast to work with. Off-the-wall personalities such as Lapkus and Linayao, while engaging in their small doses, are unable to truly shine due to their limited time onscreen. Even with an expanded cast and budget, it’s still Galifianakis’ show.
“Between Two Ferns: The Movie” also makes the interesting choice of framing itself as a mockumentary, an aspect of the film which is arguably underutilized. Although the presence of the documentary film crew is felt at points throughout the runtime, they are only interacted with a handful of times, mostly at the beginning of the film, and one may wonder what the point of their inclusion is at all.
Much of the appeal of the original webseries “Between Two Ferns” has been tied to Galifianakis’ host character, a cartoonish caricature of late-night television hosts. The film understands this: Galifianakis’ first interview is a three-minute long staredown with late-night legend David Letterman.
Will Ferrell – playing himself as the click-obsessed owner of Funny or Die – establishes the tone of the film early on:
“The show’s success is absolutely predicated on the fact that people are laughing at him [Galifanakis], not with him,” Ferrell says in character.
Galifianakis embodies the same ignorant, fern-obsessed character that he has for the last 10 years, and the awkward energy which he conjures during interviews with his many celebrity guests is truly something to behold. In this sense, the choice to make so much of the runtime clips of “Between Two Ferns” makes sense: they are far-and-away the most effective part of the film.
As for the non “Between Two Ferns” portions of the film, there are quite a few tropes of the “road-trip movie” and celebrity culture that end up being parodied. Some, like Peter Dinklage offering the cast a tour around his fabulously luxurious house (the Andy Warhol La Croix painting and Fabergé egg carton are particular highlights) and Galifianakis’ two-minute defeated walk in the rain (only to be revitalized by a Paul F. Tompkins-led game show called Don’t Give Up), are skillfully done. Others, such as Lapkus’ character’s awakening as a trumpet player, are less so. It’s clear that these aspects of the film aren’t the focus, and many of the characters weren’t placed in the film for development or growth; they function as temporary entertainment while the cast travels from one interview to another.
This is a film which somehow attacks no one, yet features a lead character who is constantly attacking everyone.
As film reviewer Nick Allen wrote for RogerEbert.com, “‘Between Two Ferns: The Movie’ is one of the most amiable comedies of the year.”
Tucker Reilly, Staff Writer
reillyt19@bonaventure.edu
